


Records of the Valiant

by katriona_subasa



Series: Records of Magvel [2]
Category: Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Gen, Gerrik/Tethys, Neimi/Colm, Novelization, potentially other pairings, we shall see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2020-06-24 01:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 73,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19713619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katriona_subasa/pseuds/katriona_subasa
Summary: In the year 803, Grado destroyed Renais in a sneak attack. In the ashes, Prince Ephraim and Princess Eirika vowed to end the war. During their battles, they discovered secrets kept quiet by pride and insecurity, and the past darkness that had become their present enemy. This is how they, and their comrades, rose to become the light that parted the darkness, once and for all.[FE8 Novelization]





	1. Prologue) The Fall

Prologue) The Fall

* * *

_In an age long lost to time, darkness consumed the land, piece by piece. Demons rose from the shadows, twisted creatures of death and blood, and ran wild, pushing mankind to the brink of annihilation. Many tried to rise up, but each time, they were conquered. Again, and again, and again. In despairing desperation, mankind appealed to the heavens for help and guidance, and the gods answered their pleas by bestowing them with the Sacred Stones. Crystallized forms of divine might, these shining gems held the power to dispel the darkness strangling the world and allowed mankind to challenge the Demon King, the horror behind the horrors. Thus, the Five Heroes, led by Grado, rallied the dregs of humanity under one banner and, with Sacred Stones and Sacred Twin Weapons in hand, laid siege on the Black temple, the once sacred ground the Demon King had corrupted into the center of his domain. After a long and bloody battle where the corpses piled high enough to reach the very tips of the trees and the rivers threatened to forever remain red, the Demon King's soul was sealed within the Sacred Stone Grado carried, and his body was chained in the depths of the temple where none could reach. With the darkness finally imprisoned, light shone upon the world once more and peace slowly bloomed from the war-torn lands, as fragile yet strong as flowers blooming from winter's ice. For over 800 years, the Sacred Stones' light protected the continent of Magvel from the lingering shadows of the Demon King, and the descendants of the Heroes safeguarded and governed the people as they came together in great nations._

_In the centermost part of Magvel, Urien, the Paladin of Storms, founded Renais. The only one of the countries to be completely landlocked, Renais is famous for its proud knightly order, with its cavalry being widely regarded as the most skilled in all the continent. The most skilled of all, of course, were the knights of the Crimson Flame Guard, the elite fighting force who answered to the ruler alone. In the present day, they answer to King Fado, the peerless Warrior King, a stern yet kind king who is well-regarded not only by his knights, but also by his people and, surprisingly, the royals of other nations._

_To the northwest, amidst the forests filled with pegasi and vast plains that let all view the splendor of the sky, Valni, the Hurricane's Wings, founded Frelia. Famous for its efficient spy network, few things happen on the continent that Frelia is not aware of, or so the rumors go. It's hard to say if the rumors are true or not, however, because of how Frelia hides so much behind elegance and efficiency, from their foods that boast many subtle flavors to their tactics, which utilizes the mobility of the Argent Wings and the Verdant Corps to bewildered the enemy into traps. It's a reputation bolstered by Frelia's king, Hayden, the venerable Sage King who is equally known for his wisdom and his tactical ability._

_To the east lies the desert, home of long hidden secrets of forgotten pasts and a people who live and breathe battle. Jehanna, founded by Kasimir, Magic's Executioner, is a nation with no standing army, or even 'knights' as defined by the other countries, even if they have the Knights of the Oasis. A country where one's word is their bond, and loyalty is earned and bought with coin, its people sell themselves as mercenaries to keep their country from starving. As a result, despite having nobility like most of the other countries, the true power in Jehanna's politics is the Guild, which coordinates contracts and payment for all mercenaries in Jehanna. The only one with more power that the Guild is the ruler of Jehanna, and in the present day, that is Queen Ismaire, Queen of the White Dunes and regent for her long missing son, who was once a talented mercenary in her own right._

_In the northeast, nestled between the desert and the Darkling Woods, lies Rausten, founded by Saint Latona, the only theocracy of Magvel. Though in practice, its politics are the same as any other. A nation that prides itself on beauty, grace, and righteousness, it is a country where even weapons are crafted for efficient beauty and hidden dangers. Due to the constant demonic threats from the Darkling Woods, its army, the Radiant Guard, specializes in brutal light magic and powerful healing, and they take pride in being the shield against the darkness, and will boast about it to anyone who makes mention of it. In recent years, the country has been ruled by Mansel, the Divine Emperor, who is known for being far more moderate and accepting than his predecessors, ushering in a peace Rausten has not known in a long while._

_To the south is the largest of the nations, Grado. Named for its first Emperor, its people are as strong and enduring as the Sacred Stone they guard, the Fire Emblem which contains the soul of the Demon King, and they are very proud of this trait. Its sheer size make it the most varied among the countries, and it has multiple schools and universities to encourage the meeting and collaborating of all of its scholars. The pursuit of knowledge leads it to be the forerunner in dark magic, with their dark magic (and magic in general) being as integral to their armies as the Scarlet Claws, filled with their wyvern knights, and the Order of the Aegis, their cavalry knights. Overseeing all of these intricate parts of the country is the Emperor, who is Vigarde in the present day, the stalwart Silent Emperor._

_To the very north, cut off from the rest of the continent by thick woods and mountains that reach beyond the clouds, lies Carcino. The only nation that does not protect a Sacred Stone, it was originally founded by people who did not wish to swear fealty to the Five Heroes and, in the past, often acted as a mediator between nations, whenever tensions began to rise. However, the country was gutted by civil war some fifty years ago, leading to the destruction of its royal family. Now, it is known as the country of merchants, ruled by a council elected by the people. Currently, it is headed by Master Klimt, who is known for his keen mind and loyal heart._

_All of this is more or less known by anyone who lives in Magvel, no matter the country. What details are emphasized depends on one's home, but the War of Demons was nothing but legend, something to pay respect to, and people's focus is on their everyday lives, striving to survive through the chaos that is life. There is no reason for any to look outside their borders, or so it was believed. In the year 803, that changed. Dramatically._

_In an unexpected act of atrocity, Grado invaded Renais, without warning or mercy. It was an invasion that rocked the continent, with no one knowing why this would happen. King Fado and Emperor Vigarde had always regarded each other as friends, and as for their children… well, the deep friendship between Princess Eirika, Prince Ephraim, and Prince Lyon was as much of a simple fact of life as 'the sun rises in the east'. An attack from their greatest friend… not even a peerless warrior could counter a blow they did not see coming. Renais's prized knights rushed to the frontlines, but they could do nothing more than stall Grado's forces, and make Grado pay in blood for every strip of land they conquered._

_Compounding King Fado's worries was his feckless son and heir, Prince Ephraim. Always known for seeking the glory of battle and abandoning responsibilities, he disappeared shortly after the initial assault with three knights, leaving his twin sister, Princess Eirika, alone to help evacuate the capital while their father desperately tried to buy as much time as possible for their people. Renais was falling. Its collapse was inevitable._

_When it all started, I didn't care one bit. I only had one person to lose, and only one person who would miss me. But old ties dragged me back to a life I abandoned in grief, and so started the War with Grado, where the poison long festering in Magvel was purged at last..._

* * *

The same day we first heard Ivroria was surrounded, it started to rain. At first, it was a drizzle, but as the siege drew longer and longer, the rain grew harder and harder. It made evacuations difficult for those who had places to go. And even those who didn't, but left anyway. We were near the Frelian and Carcinoan borders here in Rosewatch, and many were taking their chances in foreign countries. Before long, the only ones who remained were those who could not leave, for whatever reason. Them, the dead, and the rain that poured from the sky like blood from an open wound.

"Are you certain you don't wish to leave with us, Emma?" Victor asked as I helped him pack up his wares. He was a traveling merchant, part of a small group that purposely went to villages off the main road to bring them trinkets they'd have to travel a long way to get otherwise. He'd been coming here ever since he was an apprentice, shadowing an older merchant to learn the tricks of the trade. We were old friends and, between everything that happened in my life, he was my only childhood friend left living. "We certainly won't complain of one more."

"Thank you, Victor, but I'll remain here for now," I refused, just as I had the previous ten times. Victor and his group had arrived here in Rosewatch shortly before Grado's assault, and they'd been helping with evacuations and supplies. But now, the last of them would leave. "I'll leave later." I probably wouldn't leave at all. I was tired, and I felt closer to Monica here. She'd died here. She wasn't _buried_ here, but this was where her spirit passed over. I wanted to stay with her a little longer. Everything was just so gray and dull…

"If you're sure…" Victor didn't look very convinced. I didn't blame him. "Ah, there it is!" He suddenly produced a small vial from his wares and handed it over to me. I knew even before opening it that it was susinum perfume; he always kept it in a special vial. "Why did I pack it over with these things? Must've been half asleep."

"Victor, I can't afford this." I tried to give it back, but he shook his head and kept on packing his things. "Victor."

"Well, you could think of it as a gift, since your birthday was recent." He grinned at me, and exasperation threaded its way through my exhaustion, enough for me to frown at him. While I liked gifts as much as the next person, susinum was expensive. Too expensive for a gift. Monica and I had _never_ accepted a vial as a gift. "Fine, fine. We'll compromise by saying you'll pay me back later. Poor thing is probably going to get broken on the trip anyway."

"I highly doubt that." Still, I sighed and tucked it into my skirt's pocket. I'd been outside too long; I was too drained to do just about anything, much less argue. Besides, I knew why he'd sprung this on me suddenly. "I accept the compromise." It was his way of begging me to stay alive. "Think this is the last box, by the way."

It hadn't quite been, but it had been close enough to work as a subject change. Before long, I was seeing him off with a couple of other merchants who had lingered with him, and those from the village that decided safety in numbers was worth risking bandits coming after merchants' wares. I saw them off with a wave, though I wasn't sure how good my smile was. It felt stiff, like my face was cracking to form the facsimile, but I couldn't bring myself to care enough to try and fix it. I did make sure to stay until they were out of sight. It didn't take long. The rain washed them from view as quickly as it muddied the ground.

As it began raining harder, I walked away from the main road, down the flooded side-path that actually led to my house. Just my house. Not my home. Not anymore. It once had been, though. Dad had built it a little away from the village, so that he and Mom could have peace and quiet, a rarity for both of them. After all, Mom had been the 'Daughter of Thunder', a well-known mercenary-sniper with arrows that struck as quickly and harshly as lightning itself, or so the stories went. Dad had been a knight of Renais, King Fado's 'Knight of the Sun', named not for any sort of sunny disposition, but how his bluntly honest words would warm or burn, always baring nothing but the truth (as he knew it). Never really heard the story of how they met. Only that Mom and Queen Ismaire (Mom's mercenary partner) had been hired by Queen Esther for some sort of job, and one thing led to another. So, Dad built a house for them to live in far away from the chaos of cities, and we all lived happily in the cheerful home filled with color and warmth.

Then Dad died while protecting King Fado from an assassin. From what King Fado had told me, the assassin had forced King Fado into being a shield for his twins, unable to move for fear of the assassin getting _them_. And that's when Dad appeared, killing the assassin and saving all three, but getting run through in the process. That had been the day the cheerful home began bleeding, all the warmth slowly seeping through the 'wound' Dad's absence left. We all had noticed, but we had tried to ignore it. Tried to keep on living. But the 'wound' remained and gradually grinded away at us. It widened when Mom died during a bad flood, saving some children who had slipped and fallen into the rushing rapids while evacuating to higher ground, and she took a lot of the cheer with her, because she had been so resilient and the like. In her honor, Monica, Orson, and I had made things work, and still somehow managed when illness took away half the village, including most of our friends. It had probably been hard, especially for Monica since she often stayed there alone since Orson and I had our duties to the royals, but we had made it work for us.

But then, seven months ago, Monica had coughed up blood and collapsed. She had been visiting Orson and me in Ivroria at the time, so we had rushed her to a doctor, but… gods, I would remember that horrible day for the rest of my life. I had been so sure it was just a simple illness; Monica had always been frail, always prone to colds and pneumonia and the like. I had been so certain it would be no different. But it had. Because it turned out that Monica had a tumor in her lungs. While the growth itself might've been benign, its placement had meant it partially obstructed her airway, and that was why she had always been so frail. Worse, her lungs had been scarred horribly by all the infections, and there had been fluid around her lungs making it even harder for them to work. They were giving out, and her chances of surviving surgery had been infinitesimally small. I had nearly screamed when the doctors informed us, but Monica had taken it with grace and dignity, choosing to live out her remaining life with a smile.

Six months ago, she died. And all the warmth and cheer of the house went with her, alongside the colors of the world and my ability to feel anything. I just had to close my eyes to remember those horrible last days, alone as I watched Monica deteriorate, helpless to do anything as I held her hand as it slowly grew weaker and colder. Helpless, useless, worthless… and I couldn't even apologize anymore...

"I really do wonder why I don't just find a cliff and walk off," I muttered to myself, navigating the path with ease, despite the ankle-deep puddles and the lack of visibility from the rain and fading daylight. After all, I had tread it so many times that I could be blind and deaf and still manage it. "Suppose I just don't care enough, huh?" It was too much effort to find a spot. Plus, there was Orson to think of. "I'm so tired…"

With those thoughts bouncing around through my empty skull, I made it to my darkened house and went through the front door, not bothering to take off my muddied boots and wondering if I wanted to bother eating or not. I had some fruit, maybe, so I wouldn't have to cook necessarily, but the idea of hunting down food was just… too much effort. However, just as I came to that conclusion, I noticed there two things in my house that had definitely not been there when I left earlier to help Victor. Two things (people, actually) who shouldn't be here at all, actually. Much less one collapsed in front of my fireplace, and the other trying and failing to start a fire.

"Emma…?" Eirika breathed, staring at me with wide eyes. The firestarter tumbled from her hands into the ash-filled fireplace. "Emma, what are you…? Wait, is this your home?"

"Princess Eirika?" I replied, mostly because I had to say her name to process that she really was in my house. I'd told her of the place, of course, but she'd never been near Rosewatch, much less here. "And that's Seth, isn't it?" Seth, Orson's dearest friend, leader of the Crimson Flames, the famous Silver Knight of Renais, and someone I always associated with 'invincibility'… he was unconscious, bleeding from numerous injuries. One injury on his arm looked particularly bad, actually. How…? "What are you two…?" No, not important. "Bath."

"Huh?"

"Bath, towels, dry clothes. And don't bother lighting a fire. The thing needs to be cleaned before that can be done." Despite the exhaustion, my mind began whirling with everything that needed to be done before they caught their deaths from pneumonia. "Come on. You can use some of my clothes. And we need to get him bandaged." And my mind whirled even more with everything that needed to be done before Seth bled out. Wasn't explaining to Orson that I let him die in our living room. "This way. Bathroom is in the back."

I got Eirika set up with a bath in the back, plus some of my clothes for her to change into, and then went to work on Seth. Thankfully for me, he half-woke up while I was trying to get him out of the wet clothes, not enough for conversation, but enough that I wasn't having to wrestle or anything. He blinked slowly as I got him bandaged as best as I could, but it was only around when I getting some of Orson's clothes on him that his eyes gained any sort of clarity. Still took him a moment to recognize me.

"Emma?" he rasped, frowning. His gaze was a bit hazy, and I noticed that not all of his paleness was from blood loss. The bags under his eyes hinted to exhaustion, and… well, his eyes weren't just red from the typical Jehannan coloring. They were bloodshot. Considering how far it was to here from Ivroria… if they had left shortly before Ivroria was surrounded, he had to have madly dashed the whole damn way! "Why are you…?"

"We can talk more when you're more coherent," I 'answered', a bit confused. Why would he be surprised to see me? Unlike Eirika, he knew the place. Orson had dragged him here during quite a few festivals over the years. "But right now, you're injured and you have a fever." He radiated more heat than fire, actually.

"Princess Eirika needs to…" He hissed in pain when I tried to help him up. That arm wound… it was really bad. Which surprised me because I honestly had never seen him get so much as a bruise. But now, he looked like some wild animal had savaged him.

"Seth, she's taking a bath to warm herself up. She's fine. Let's get you at least back up to seventy percent before you try protesting further, okay?" I swore I nearly pulled quite a few muscles hauling Seth onto his feet, but I managed and _thankfully_ he didn't fight me once I confirmed Eirika was safe. "Come on. You can stay in the guest room, like usual. Think it has a few things you left behind last time, actually."

It was a testament to how worn Seth was that he just went along with what I said. In all honesty, I half-thought the pain from moving just sent him to near-consciousness again, so that he _couldn't_ argue. After all, he sure as hell passed out quickly when I got him to bed, so quickly that I actually just pulled a spare blanket from the closet to drape over him instead of trying to pull the covers out from under him. I ducked into the bathroom to wet a rag to place on his forehead and then I returned to the living room to clean the fireplace and start a fire. By the time I got that done and things somewhat cleaned, Eirika returned from her bath, dressed in some of my clothes with her hair dripping wet. As usual.

"Honestly, you should at least put a towel over your shoulders to catch the water if you're not going to dry your hair properly," I scolded, getting her to sit in front of the fire. I left briefly to get a towel and then returned to dry her hair, wondering the entire time how she could deal with her hair dripping water everywhere. "You wear a cape most of the time anyway."

"It's not _most_ of the time," Eirika protested, sounding a little tired. Her posture wasn't as perfect as normal either, which really highlighted how little she must've slept. "I'm sorry to just barge into your home. Even if it was on accident. Seth only rested long enough for his horse to not drop dead on us." So, I'd been right. ...And wondering where this horse was. Never mind, would worry later. "When he passed out, I was desperate for some shelter, and…"

"You're apologizing over silly things. Again. It's not like the place looks lived in or anything." It hadn't for a while. When Monica had been diagnosed, we had actually been moving things to the townhouse Orson owned in Ivroria. Monica had wanted to be closer to Orson and me, since our duties kept us there most of the time. After her funeral, neither Orson nor I had felt like moving anything back. Or moving anything to there either. I wasn't sure why Orson didn't, but it felt like looting a corpse to me. Of course, I was residing in said 'corpse', so… "Honestly, if you've the breath to waste, use it to warm your fingers or something. Even after that bath, you're more frozen than an icicle."

"Ah, I'm getting scolded!" She snickered, amused, and I relaxed without even thinking about it because… well, that was her usual response. It had been ever since the first time I scolded her four years ago, and it continued even… "It's been a while. Seven months? Eight?"

"Probably eight." I didn't spend much time with her when Monica was diagnosed, and I left her service after Monica's death. "Is it just you and Seth or do I need to worry about more knights showing up?"

"Franz was with us, but Seth sent him ahead to let Frelia know what had happened. That was shortly before Seth and I got ambushed by…" She shuddered, hugging herself tightly. Whoever it was, I had a feeling they were why Seth was so hurt. And it explained the wounds a lot. Even the best warrior had difficulties when ambushed, especially when protecting someone. Dad's death proved _that_ all too well… "Father stayed behind in the castle while we escaped, but… but I'm sure he's fine." Thinking of what I'd heard, I remained silent, focused on drying her hair. "You don't think so, do you?"

"I didn't say anything."

"That's how I know. Because you never lie to me." Well, that was true. Honesty was the truest way to show loyalty, and even if I left her service, I was still loyal. I only left because I was weak and just so tired… "That was your promise when you became my lady in waiting." It was. It had been the first thing I'd ever promised her. Before I had even pledged loyalty, I had pledged that.

"...I think that if anyone _can_ , it's King Fado." That seemed safe enough to say, and I did believe it was true. I knew King Fado would fight tooth and nail to survive, and I knew how stubborn he was. And I also knew that there were many knights more than willing to die for his sake. "Might be better to treat that as an unexpected surprise, though. But, then again, you've always been the type to hold onto hope even when it scorches you."

"Oh, is that why my hand is burning?" The words were a little too dull to truly be a joke, but it was a good attempt. And a reminder of how cold she was. I'd need to get her a blanket once I was done. "Ah, before I forget. The circumstances aren't what I'd like, but…" She looked back at me and smiled. Worry and exhaustion dulled its normal brightness, but not its warmth. "I'm glad to see you again, Emma."

"...Good to see you too, Princess Eirika." And, surprisingly, it was. "Not sure I like you trying to emulate the looks of a drowned rat, though. Complete with a rat's nest in your hair. Hold still. This is going to take forever to fix."

I'd make her food once I was done with her hair. There was no way I could let her go to sleep with that tangled mess. She'd bruise herself if she tried.

* * *

Normally, it would be difficult to hide the fact that I had two more people in the house with me, especially in a small town that was slowly getting smaller and over the course of a few days. But since I had no appetite, I'd barely had been eating anything. So, Eirika and Seth made sure the food in the house didn't rot and grow stale, and when I got fresh fruit and vegetables from the stores? Well, those that remained just thought I'd gained the energy to eat. Which, to my surprise… seemed to make them happy?

"You need honey with the apples, little sun," Grandpapa James laughed, hunting through his cupboards for some. He wasn't my 'actual' grandfather, but all the children called him that anyway (same as a few of the other elderly folk in the village). As for the less-than-apt nickname… it came from Dad's epithet. According to everyone here, I was a lot like him. I doubted that, especially since he never left behind his lord, while I… "They're too sour this year without it."

"If you say so," I answered, shifting my basket to my other hand. It was heavy with all the apples I raided. We'd had a good crop, but with evacuations and all… well, it was just going to go bad. Probably why he hadn't scolded me when he caught me. "How are Lewis and Maddie holding up?"

"Their fevers finally broke last night." Grandpapa James finally found the honey, but then went to find something else. Probably a cloth to wrap it in. As he moved, the charms on his bracelet clinked and thunked together. All of them were handmade, made whenever the mood struck him. Not just for himself, but for others as well. I wore a bracelet of them myself. Monica had too; we buried her with it. "Need to see if they relapse or something, though."

"Of course." That was the only reason why he was still here. The rest of the family had already left, at his insistence, while he stayed with his two youngest grandchildren, who managed to get ill. "I hope they're better soon."

"As do I. They're both miserable being stuck in bed." He found that cloth and wrapped up the jar of honey, just as I'd suspected, before putting it in the basket for me. "Ah! Before I forget…" He darted up the stairs briefly, with such speed and agility that you'd think he was easily half his age. Not, you know, almost eighty. "Figured I'd give this to you now." He returned just as quickly as he'd left and took my left arm, the one I wore my bracelet on. Why? Well, to slip on another charm, of course. "A sun for the little sun."

"It's pretty." I held up my arm so that I could study it better, and looked at the others on it as well. A little dagger, for instance, made when I accepted King Fado's offer to be Eirika's lady in waiting. A heart, made after Mom's death as a reminder that I still had those who loved me. A single wing, given when I was sixteen and 'of age', symbolic of how I would stretch my own 'wings' to figure out what sort of adult I'd be. Things like that. "Just for my name?"

"And a reminder that there is always light in the dark." Grandpapa James ruffled my hair, a habit he'd had ever since I was very little. "Stop by Emilia's on your way back home, Emma. She's baked pies, and you could use the sweet."

"Okay." Once, I might have joked about how he was implying I was in a bad mood or was a sourpuss. Now, I just nodded. Eirika would like it, at least. Emilia was the one who taught me how to bake, and Eirika had always liked my sweets…

I lingered a little longer with Grandpapa James, mostly just to see if Lewis and Maddie were awake enough for a brief 'hello'. Then I headed down the street to Emilia's for the pie, knowing that Grandpapa Jason would ask. Emilia, as per usual, was more than happy to let me have some of the many, _many_ , pies she had made. The number, and the amount of flour she was covered in, told me she was both trying to use up ingredients and that she was stress-baking again. Couldn't blame her. Not one bit.

"Ah, I'm so glad you're eating again!" Emilia gushed, skipping around her messy-messy-messy kitchen. There was no other way to describe the mess, unless I wanted to hunt down a thesaurus or something. Even then… well, aside from the more typical dirty dishes and cooking implements piled up everywhere, there was dried, flaking dough on the ceiling. And the walls. Plus flour scattered on the floor. And flour-water-mix gluing various things to the counters and tables, from napkins to underwear. "Let's see… you've got apples there, so let's get you a couple of different ones to complement them!"

"How much do you expect me to eat?" I asked, voice more tired than dry. She made a face at me anyway. "Also…" I nodded pointedly at the glued underwear, noticing it was rather… fancy. There were frills. And lace. "Someone took Granny Nora's suggestion, huh?" Shame I couldn't tell her. She had left in one of the first rounds of evacuation, with her husband and grandchildren.

"Oh, shush!" Emilia turned a rather brilliant red and snatched them up to throw them out of sight down the hall. "So, I forgot to move my laundry out of the kitchen before cooking!" Again. The actual basket of laundry was kicked over by her back door, the clothes strewn all over the floor. I hoped it was the dirty laundry this time. "Besides, I'm not discussing my… uh…"

"Sex life?"

"Emma!" And she turned an even darker red, sulking at me. You'd never guess she was a year older that me with her like this. "You're incorrigible. Hmph."

"Right, so, how did Daniel-"

"Lalalala! I can't hear you!" She covered her ears for emphasis, shaking flour out of her hair. She was seriously covered. Almost looked like a ghost, really. "I can't hear you~!"

"Of course." Even as tired as I was, she was so easy to tease. "By the way, you'll want to get the flour out of your hair before washing. It's as white as Grandpapa James's."

"Right, pies!" And she was back to the dining table, where all her pies were cooling. I didn't bother counting. The table was covered, after all. "Let's see…" While she hunted, I glanced at the only clean thing in the entire place, the portrait of her and Daniel that was hanging on the wall. Drawn to celebrate their engagement… guess it was close to ten months ago now. I knew he was major source of her stress at the moment. After all, not only was Daniel a soldier, but he'd been stationed near Serafew. Emilia hadn't left in the hopes that some letter would make it here; she'd leave with Grandpapa James, Lewis, and Maddie. "Yes, these two will be perfect!" Emilia picked a couple out and wrapped them in clean cloths (at least, I hoped they were clean, since they came from the closet) before setting them in a basket to make it easier for me to carry. "I'm particularly proud of these ones!" She handed the basket to me with a bright smile; her engagement ring caught the light and sparkled just as brightly. "Plus, one of them is Daniel's favorite, so you can boast about it when we hear from him and make him jealous!"

"We'll see." Neither of us mentioned the danger, and how unlikely that would be. I was positive he was dead, after all. But I wouldn't say that, because I wanted to be wrong. That and the fact that Orson was missing too, and if I said anything aloud… "Thank you." Hunting for a subject change, I found one easily. Too easily, really. "So, is that skirt supposed to be stuck up there?"

Emilia had panicked, and I'd set the baskets down to at least help her get her clothes in order. Then I left, returning to my house in record time. I made sure to take off my muddied boots before entering the house, and then I had to pause in the doorway due to a very strange sight. Eirika was… attempting… to sweep. A valiant attempt, I supposed. Except she held the broom stiffly and at a weird angle to her body. Meaning that all she really did was push dust and ash around, instead of getting it into a neat little pile. The sight was so ridiculous that a laugh bubbled to my throat unbidden. I choked on it, announcing my return with a cough, and tried to think of the last time I'd laughed. It was an answer that would require a lot more thinking than I was willing to do.

"Oh, ah, welcome back!" Eirika chirped when she noticed me, hiding the broom behind her back. As if that would actually hide it. Or the dust. "I was just… uh…"

"Cleaning, right?" I asked, face stretching with a smile. A wide smile. It hurt. I was tempted to reach up and see if my face cracked because it hurt so much. "Where's Seth?"

"Checking on his horse." She 'subtly' leaned the broom against the wall. I headed into the kitchen with the baskets and pretended she got away with it. "You said I could help today!"

"With the cleaning?"

"With the _cooking_!" Oh, that was right. It was something Eirika had always wanted to learn. Before Monica died, she and I had lessons with the palace cooks, but… "So, what are we making today?"

"A whole bunch of apples." I set the baskets on the table and pulled the honey out, along with the pies. "And we're having pie for dessert."

"Oh, looks good!" Eirika smiled, and it almost looked normal. She was doing her best to put on a brave face, but the lack of news had to be driving her mad. We didn't even know if Ivroria still held or not. "Oh, cherry…" Her smile wavered, struggling to stay in place, when she studied the pies. The cherry one was obvious because Emilia had filled it to bursting. "That's Ephraim's favorite."

"Is it?" I had to struggle to keep my voice even. Ephraim… he might be Eirika's twin, but I was… _severely unimpressed_ with him. The number of times he skipped out on duties, snuck out of the palace, slept through lessons… it was enough to drive someone mad, really. Made worse, in my case at least, because of the number of times Orson had to cancel plans to hunt down his wayward prince and the number of times Eirika had been stuck in an awkward situation with the court or visiting nobles. And the whispers that had followed dogged our footsteps, mocking how little Ephraim must care to push all his work on his twin, how little he thought of his knights and their duties… one of the things that always baffled me was how Orson was so loyal to him. Orson always said I'd figure it out when I had a proper conversation with him… which would've been way easier if he didn't dodge events where I _could_ do that! But he was only around Eirika during free/private time, and I never wanted to impose then because it was when Eirika relaxed! And I usually used that time to catch up on things I needed to do! ...Okay, and I never wanted to use what little free time _I_ had just to satisfy a little bit of curiosity. So, I supposed I did avoid him a bit? Just a bit! Only because he was so aggravating and I hated how he made things harder for everyone around him and…!

"Something's upset you." Eirika frowned and leaned forward a little to study my expression. After a moment, she winced, like a thought occurred to her. "Ah, of course… you're upset about how Ephraim…"

"Disappeared, again?" I almost bristled as I thought about it. Not only had he disappeared, but he'd taken Orson with him! The only family I had left was…! "You would think that if there was going to be one time he'd be with you and your father, it would be now. Instead, he runs off for personal glory and…!" I shouldn't be saying any of this. I knew that. Yes, I was mad. Yes, I was upset. Yes, I assumed the worst with him. But there was being honest and there was being mean. Monica was always quick to scold me whenever I mixed the two up. So, seeing the pain on Eirika's face, I bit my tongue. Hard. Really hard. Tasted iron. Took a moment to realize why. "Am I bleeding?"

"How did you do that?!" Eirika rushed into the kitchen to get me some water. I went to the sink so that I could rinse my mouth. "Seriously…?!"

"Well, I literally bit my tongue?" This was so freaking ridiculous. If I remembered how, I'd probably be laughing. But I didn't, and the sound didn't 'helpfully' bubble up. "Freaking ow… can you get me a towel?"

"Yeah, here." Eirika handed me one and I pressed a corner to my tongue. Pressure was important for wounds. "How did you end up biting your tongue?"

"Because I was being mean." After all, no one knew where Ephraim and his knights were. Eirika knew just as much about where her twin was as I knew about Orson. For all any of us knew, they were dead. Probably were. "Of all the times for me to grumble, this isn't it." Even if I did severely question Orson's loyalty, or why Ephraim was still heir, this wasn't… "Ugh… I'm getting too worked up."

"You are." Still, Eirika muffled a giggle, her eyes dancing in quiet mirth. "But, it is nice to see."

"Princess Eirika, you don't have to placate me." I stopped bleeding, finally, so I rinsed my mouth again. "I just said horrible things. What's that thing we did when I first entered your service?"

"The question game. But no, we don't have to revive that. For one thing, grief is messy, right? That's what I was taught, when Mother died." She took the towel from me and folded it up before setting it aside. "Grief and pain aren't pretty. They can make you do things and say things that are hurtful to others. They can make you do hurtful things to yourself." That was… true. Orson, in his grief, nearly killed himself. I still wasn't sure if I'd done the right thing, stopping him, even if I was glad to not lose him. "And, well, even if I am worried, I can't say I'm not frustrated too. He didn't even tell me he was leaving. And I never really studied war. That was always his thing. So, I knew he could've been much more helpful than me…"

"Eirika…" Absently, I got the kettle and set about making tea. I knew I needed it, and I figured she would to.

"I'm sure once I know he's safe, the frustration will take over and I'll snap at him. He and I understand each other the best." She smiled wanly, and I felt horrible. I really should have bitten my tongue sooner… "However, though it's a bit of normality, you getting grumpy with Ephraim wasn't what I was referring to." This was a bit more than 'grumpy', but… "It was how lively you were." ...Ah. "That's what I was glad to see." Well, now I had no idea how to react or feel. But… but she was right. For the first time in months, I wasn't _absolutely_ exhausted. I was irritated as all hell, but not exhausted.

"Why is there blood on the counter?" Of course, that's when Seth walked in from wherever his horse was hidden. I still had no idea where that was. "Is everything all right?" he asked, frowning as he scanned the room. I was glad he was up and about; his fever had only broken yesterday afternoon. "I didn't hear anything amiss?"

"I just bit my tongue, Seth," I answered, getting three mugs from the cupboard when the kettle began whistling. Finding the tea proved to be harder, but I managed. Via climbing onto the counter. The container with all the teas got shoved to the very back of the cupboard at some point. "Literally."

"I… I see." Seth still frowned, but he chose to not pursue the subject, thankfully. Just watch me warily as I balanced precariously. "Something tells me you're not supposed to do that."

"No, but that's never stopped me."

"Seth, how's your horse?" Eirika asked, switching the subject. When I glanced over at her, I saw her smiling innocently as Seth turned his frown to her. "Doing okay?"

"Yes, and I think I'll sneak one of these apples to Tyr," Seth answered, going along with the conversation change with only a little sigh. He still watched me warily until I was safely back on the floor with the container. "Weapons and supplies are more of my concern, but…" I caught his eye and pointed to the back wall, where some were hanging. And by 'some', I meant a _lot_. The thing was basically filled. "Yes, I know those are there. I wasn't going to just assume I could use them." Why not? They were up there for emergency weapons (for Mom and Dad when they were alive, and Orson when he was here). And because they were pretty.

"Surely not _all_ of them are usable weapons anyway?" Eirika tiptoed over, poking at a few of the more ornamental ones. And she did have a bit of a point. Some were up there just becaue they were pretty. But not all. "I mean… there's a fan here!"

"Fans are dangerous. They make quite the crack when you get hit in the head." Seth finally smiled slightly, and I started rinsing the apples now that I had the tea steeping. "Regardless, we should be able to head for Frelia soon. I'm sure they're worried about how long we're taking and…" Seth tried to cross his arms, but flinched. A quick look showed crimson on his sleeve. "Damn."

"Hang on! I'll get the bandages!" And Eirika darted down the hall before anyone could stop her.

"I'm a bit worried that it keeps reopening," I murmured when Eirika left. Seth sighed and sat down at the table, resting his arm on it and rolling up his sleeve. The bandages were saturated. "Sorry that we don't have a doctor around here. The one we had evacuated a couple days before you two arrived." And I was sure he needed one.

"I'm fine," Seth countered firmly. In that tone that said that he _would_ be fine, no matter what, because he could be no less. It was almost enough to make me roll my eyes. "Still, I am glad it was treated when it was."

"I'm sure." Eirika was taking a while. Did she forget which room the first aid kit was in? "Hey, Seth?"

"Hmm?"

"That first night, you seemed surprised to see me." I began cutting the apples, absently thinking of recipes. I saved a few for them to take with them, though. Apples traveled fairly well, or so I thought. "Why was that? I mean…"

"Truthfully, I hadn't planned on coming here." Seth chuckled and smiled ruefully. "I knew we had to get off the road. Princess Eirika needed the rest." So had he. "Around the time I came to that decision, I saw the turnoff to here. I knew the area, so I knew it would be safe to ride off the paths, even with the rain."

"And you…? What? Forgot that the house wasn't in the village proper?"

"I fell unconscious." That… right, I'd forgotten. He'd been _out_ that night. "Princess Eirika is the one who found your home." That is, the one who had _never_ been here before, had _never_ even been near the area before. "Bit of a miracle, really."

"This is where people start grumbling-joking about the 'Jehannan luck', right?" I knew of it, thanks to Mom. In Jehanna, those with red hair and red eyes were considered 'lucky', particularly with the type of luck you wished you didn't need in the first place. It was considered to be one of the reasons why the coloring was common in Jehanna, and unusual anywhere else. Well, that and Jehannans rarely marrying foreigners. Seth and I were automatically oddballs because we were half.

"Well, it's better than some other phrases." Seth said the words lightly, too lightly, and refused to elaborate. He didn't need to. Because the coloring was unusual in most of Magvel, all the countries had some sort of saying about them. Renais mentioned they were born with 'war in their blood' and were always strong warriors (which Seth, at least, proved true). Frelia said that they were undying, rising from death to continue to do battle. Grado would whisper 'red eyes, take warning' because they were beloved by the Queen Goddess of the Dead and She would smite all those who angered Her beloved. And Rausten screamed 'burn the children of demons!'. I'd heard all of them during my time at court, and Seth had heard them even more than me.

"Carcino is the only one without a phrase, right?" I remembered asking Victor about it, out of curiosity. "Probably because of money."

"They do make good coin off of Jehannan perfumes, from my understanding." Pounding footsteps heralded Eirika's return. "I insist on helping with cooking prep when my arm is bandaged."

"Sure." I knew better than to argue with _Seth_. His near-invincibility wasn't limited to only battles, after all. "What all do we have anyway?"

Almost hard to believe that Grado was devouring Renais, with evenings like this. Almost.

* * *

The stores were almost empty. It made sense. After all, everyone who evacuated made sure to take some. Plus there were those of us who still stayed. It made sense for them to be so bare. But it still took me aback, because I had never seen them so low before. Rosewatch might've been out of the way, but it had always been blessed with fertile fields and good hunting. Even during bad years, we never went hungry. Our main problems came from floods and illnesses, with the occasional bandits who managed to stumble down the path to here.

"Really shows how it's dying, huh?" I whispered, shutting the door. The building looked almost lonely in the long shadows of the sunset. "Does this mean I'm looting a corpse?" I wasn't sure what was more troubling: the thought or how little I cared. Probably the latter, since the same thought had bothered me when it was the house. "Ah, well…" Shaking my head, I turned away to return to the house. I was careful to walk along the outer boundary of the village, so that no one stopped me. Not that there were many who would. Honestly, including myself, there were maybe… six people left? No, five. Just me, Emilia, Grandpapa James, Lewis, and Maddie. Everyone else had left this morning. I wondered how long it would be until no one but the dead remained. What would I do then? I had no idea. None at all…

I grimaced when I heard the rumble of thunder, thinking another storm was on the way. The ground was still really soft and muddy from the last one, so I feared we might have some trouble if more rain came. But even as scenarios spun through my head, I realized something. It didn't sound right. And it was very… long. Too long for thunder. And through it, I heard something 'clanging'.

With my blood freezing in terror, I slowly turned towards the sound and my worst fears were confirmed. This was no thunder. Thunder didn't approach through the trees, uncaring of all it trampled. Thunder didn't charge under a crimson flag bearing a black wyvern rampant. Only Grado did.

Filled with a burst of energy that pierced through all the exhaustion, I dropped the basket and bolted for the house, desperately hoping I'd get there before the soldiers did. It would be difficult, and I'd only succeed if they focused on the main village and ignore the side path to the house. And I… I couldn't even hope for that. Not really. Because if they focused on the village, then those few still here would… they'd… ah, I couldn't even think on it. Trying to just led to me nearly slipping and falling, losing precious seconds to desperate flailing. So, I just ran. As fast as I could. Until my legs were numb. Until my chest went cold. All just so that I could get that extra little second that could maybe make a difference…!

"You two have to get out of here!" I shouted as I crashed through my door. I kicked it shut behind me, just out of habit, and yanked a startled Eirika up from her seat by the fire. She stumbled, not quite able to get her feet under her. "Now! Grado is here!" I shoved Eirika towards the back door, which led straight to the woods. Seth, meanwhile, had scrambled up to quickly pack whatever they'd need. "Go!"

"Wait, Emma!" Eirika protested, grabbing my sleeves. I pulled myself away and quickly banked the fire to hide any presence of life. "Emma, come with-!"

"You can't get caught, damn it!" And then I was right back to pushing her. Distantly, I thought I could just leave with her. But… "I need to hide that you two were here!" That was more of an excuse. Really, I just didn't want to slow them down. "Go!"

"But-!"

"She's right, Princess Eirika," Seth interrupted, appearing next to us. He packed quick. He had three or four packs on him, all near bursting. "This way. Hurry."

Eirika kept on trying to protest, even as Seth dragged her out. I closed the door behind them and leaned against it, desperately trying to get my breathing under control. My legs throbbed in pain. My chest ached. My heart was pounding so loud that I could barely hear anything. But I grit my teeth and pushed myself off the door. And then staggered, because what energy I'd had disappeared as soon as they were out of sight. As soon as they were safe. I half thought about collapsing and just… see what happened. I was curious, even if I didn't find myself caring.

But then someone kicked in the front door, knocking it off its hinges. "Pardon the intrusion," they began, laughing like this was all one big game. As I faced them, I noticed the blood. Some bits encrusted on the armor, like they hadn't bothered to clean it in a while. Some fresh bits dripping down to dot the floor. More matting their stringy teal hair. Blood slipping down the lance they held. Where had all the blood come from? There weren't enough people here for that much, right? "I fear some prey I'm hunting got away from me."

"And you thought you would find it here, in my house, after such a rude entrance?" I retorted, raising my head slightly so that I could stare them in the eye. Well, I had energy again, somehow, but it felt frozen like the rest of me. I was scared. Whoever this person was, they were no friend. I'd… I might've been trained for situations like this, but I'd never actually faced an 'enemy' before. Not one with weapons and an intent to kill. "Who are you?"

"My, my… a pretty little thing with such a defiant light to her…" They chuckled lowly, darkly, and my skin crawled at the sound. It crawled even more, somehow, at the glint in their eyes as they stepped closer. Feral. Rabid. That's what the glint reminded me of. "You are interesting. Hair of blood and eyes to match…"

"I don't know why I expected manners, given your entrance, but you have yet to answer my question." Fear kept me rooted to the floor, so I could only continue staring coldly at the person as they walked right on up to me. But even through that fear, I realized that if I could keep them busy talking, Eirika and Seth would have more time. So, the fear made me brave too. "So, I ask again. Who are you?"

"Valter, the Moonstone, Grado's finest general." ...I knew him. Oh, I definitely knew him. His rampant slaughter of friend and foe alike was infamous for its sheer brutality. And the way he had ripped civilians apart… witness testimonies claimed that they'd seen rabid beasts do less damage. Guess I knew who mauled Seth now. I'd always wondered why he'd only been imprisoned instead of executed. Now I wondered if Emperor Vigarde had simply been waiting to unleash a mad dog for the war. "As for my prey… well, that clever corpse took the darling princess off road, using the rains to mask the trail."

"And you think that means they appeared here?" I didn't move. I didn't twitch. I couldn't, really. Not even as he ran his gauntleted hand through my hair, twisting the locks around his fingers to tug slightly. "That's quite the leap of logic. The village isn't even well known or anything."

"No, and it's been most vexing to find. But…" He smirked, pulling harder on my hair. I was so cold with fear that I might as well be nothing but ice. I wished I'd tied my hair up or something, just to give him less to grab onto, but I hadn't cared about whatever tangles it picked up, despite the length. "Curiously, while we were hunting for clues, we came across a group of people. They were quite… informative."

"Were they?" And somehow, I became even colder. The ones who evacuated this morning… or maybe the ones who evacuated yesterday… had… had he…? "I somehow doubt they gave the information willingly."

"Oh, they were quite willing. Desperate to survive, they babbled anything they thought would please me." He bared his teeth in a sickening grin, and my eyes darted to the blood in his hair. No, not enough for the few here. But for those on the road…? "They also mentioned something interesting. A former lady in waiting to Princess Eirika, who lived just outside this little village. The sister to one of Prince Ephraim's personal knights, and the daughter of one of King Fado's. Just the sort of person to provide sanctuary, yes?"

"Oh, yes, that's certainly an obvious conclusion. Too obvious, really." I scoffed and rolled my eyes. His grin grew and he leaned in even closer. I felt his too hot breath on my face and only didn't squirm because I couldn't move at all. "Yes, if they were here, I would give them shelter. But they're not. Seems to me that you wasted your time, really."

"Oh, not at all…!" He chuckled again, but this time, it sounded deranged. His eyes were alight with gleeful madness. "After all…" He jerked my head to the side, yanking my hair so hard that I staggered. He used that opportunity to knock my feet out from under me and pinned me to the floor, one hand on my throat to choke me. He was outright laughing now, and whatever resolve my fear had given me wavered as I remembered the other parts of the report on Valter's rampage. What he'd done to the women. "I have found such lovely prey right in front of me, enough to sate my appetite until I find that defiantly lovely corpse and the princess with brightly fierce eyes…!"

In that moment, what training I had surged to the forefront and I quickly found a key weakness. My hands were free. So, despite him pressing on my throat and the dots turning my vision fuzzy, I managed to claw at his eyes and when he jerked back and screamed, I rolled out from under him to escape. My first attempt to scramble to my feet just sent me crashing right back to the floor, bruising my elbows. The second attempt was a bit better, but I had to quickly dodge as Valter screamed in fury and swung at me with his lance. It caught my skirt and ripped through the bottom easily, unsteadying me again and left me with no time to make it to the back door (much less open it and run out). But I could make it to the wall with the weapons, so as Valter charged for me, I grabbed the first one I could. It happened to be the fan and I just barely managed to unfurl it before he struck. There was a deafening 'clang' that made my ears ring, and the blow knocked me off my feet. But the fan had held, and Valter was surprised enough to actually pause, instead of following through to kill me.

And then he began laughing again, that horribly deranged laugh that made me nauseous and my skin crawl. "You are so beautiful, so tempting…" he hissed, stepping towards me again. I managed to get onto my feet and held the fan in front of me as a shield, but… but my wrist throbbed in pain. It wasn't broken, but the previous strike had probably sprained it. "Oh, how I want to break you, master you, make you _scream_ …!"

"Sorry, but I have to refuse," I replied, forcing myself to step back towards the door. It was hard. My feet felt heavy. "I'm not much of a screamer."

"I'm sure I can change that." His sickening, feral smile nearly made me freeze, again, but I was… I was almost at the door… "Ah, it will be so much fun to-!"

The door burst open. It took a couple of blinks to realize that, and by the time I had processed it, Seth had already disarmed Valter and sent him flying back by the fireplace. Then, quickly and calmly, he grabbed a few of the non-ornamental weapons from the wall, took my free arm, and dragged me outside. Valter's screams of rage followed us, but were quickly swallowed by the trees as we disappeared among them.

"Seth, what are you…?" I tried to ask, while also trying to keep up. And trying to not throw up. Wasn't doing that great of a job with anything but the last one. I figured it was because my stomach was in too many knots. "Eirika?"

"She is safely hidden, with our things and my horse," Seth answered easily. We made it to the river, swollen from the recent rains, and he helped me across. And I had to admit that just being in the woods was quite the shield. Fliers were horrible with flying through, and the river would make any on foot hesitate. "So, I came to retrieve you."

"Why?" I didn't understand. He had to protect Eirika, after all.

"I may have my duty as a knight, but I have a duty as a friend as well." He smiled very, very slightly and I could only sigh. In retrospect, this should've been obvious. "I'm not telling Orson I left his sister behind." Speaking of Orson, he was going to have a fit when he heard about this. "And besides, I packed a bag for you as well." Of course he had. "I didn't expect them to track us here."

"They didn't. They just knew I was here, and around where they lost your trail." I wasn't going to mention how Valter had gotten the information. The dark look in Seth's eyes hinted he had an idea anyway. "Thank you."

Seth didn't reply, save for his smile growing just a little bit. Instead, he focused on where we were going, following some sort of invisible (to me) trail. I half-wondered if we were just wandering around in random directions, but before long, we found Eirika, standing near Seth's horse with the packs tucked neatly at her feet.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Eirika breathed, smiling shakily at us. She clung to the horse's reins tightly, so tightly that her knuckles were white. "I'm so glad…"

"Reminder, Princess Eirika, that this is precisely the sort of situation being your lady in waiting entailed," I pointed out dryly. Like I wasn't nearly sick, and still bone-cold with fear. Seth briefly made sure I was steady enough to stand on my own before doing some last minute checks with his saddlebags. "It was part of the job, alongside everything else."

"Well, yes, but it hadn't happened before!" She had a point there. "Also, why are you holding that fan?"

"Hmm? Ah." Noticing I still had the fan unfurled, I flicked it so that Eirika could hear the distinct 'ping' of metal before seeing if it still folded properly. Thankfully, it did. "I wonder how they make these things. Magic?" I glanced at Eirika and had to smile at her dumbfounded look. Her jaw was dropped and everything! "Yes, everything on that wall was, in fact, a weapon."

"Uh… how?" Eirika almost poked it, but I stopped her. And plucked a strand of hair from my head to cut it and demonstrate the sharpness. "Tana would love this. But seriously, how?"

"Rausten specializes in hidden weapons, just as Frelia does. But they prefer the 'hide in plain sight' tactic," Seth explained, tightening his saddle. He then nodded to the fan for a bit of emphasis. "Things like that, or hair decorations. I've heard that even their tomes are disguised to look like normal religious texts." He fixed the bridle, frowning about something. "That said, I had always thought Raustenians didn't sell their war-fans?"

"Mom got it as a gift from a friend," I explained, shrugging. Never heard anything else, like how her friend got it in the first place. Sure, they could've just been from Rausten, but that would've been weird. Jehanna and Rausten hadn't gotten along in decades. Or so I picked up from Mom's grumblings and the pointed comments from visiting Raustenian diplomats in the court. "There's a few variations, from my understanding. This one is a bit of a jack of all trades, I think?" Sharp ribbing for stabbing, metal plates for shielding, and if worse came to worse, you could always just fold it up to whack someone over the head with it. "That's about the extent of my knowledge, save for knowing somewhat how to use one." 'Somewhat' being key.

"Which reminds me." Seth focused on me, stepping away from his horse. Eirika was still studying the fan. "Orson taught you, right? Weapons, I mean."

"Well, yes." Of course he had. It had been my job. After all, Renais had _very_ few female knights, and there were some situations where males just could not attend to a noblewoman. So, the problem was 'solved' by noblewomen having at least one 'lady in waiting', a trusted companion who handled things from wardrobe and jewelry to schedules and assisting to duties to… well, knowing how to fight in order to protect their mistress. "I'm not very good, but he taught me a little of everything?"

"Right, he wanted you to not be in a situation where you couldn't defend yourself or Princess Eirika." He looked through the weapons he'd snatched and passed me a lance. Eirika got a rapier. Monica had told me it had been a wedding gift to our parents. "I remember Orson saying you were best with lances? Or was it bows?"

"I had the best luck with lances, bows, and daggers." I hesitated at calling myself 'good' at any of them, though. Honestly, my priority in training had always been to try and keep sharp things from stabbing Eirika or me. "I highly doubt I'm lasting against a trained soldier, though."

"It's just in case." Seth picked up one of the packs and strapped it onto his saddle. His horse danced a little from the unexpected weight, but Seth quieted it with practiced ease. "Now then…"

"Wait, we can't leave!" Eirika protested, snapping back to reality. Seth closed his eyes briefly, and I knew he was asking for strength. "Not yet!" She gripped the rapier tightly, and it trembled slightly. "We have to help the village!" And there was that stubborn light in her eyes, the one that always made me sigh. "We're not leaving them behind!"

"There's four people there, Princess Eirika. At most," I countered tiredly. I was starting to ache. My wrist _really freaking hurt_. My stomach was churning. While I was worried about the four, I also… I also didn't want to risk seeing Valter again. I didn't want Eirika anywhere near him. "Everyone else already left."

"Then that's four people we need to save." Her voice was hard. Yep, not winning this. I knew that tone too well. And I couldn't really find an argument that I agreed with. Saying that I was okay with it would be a horrific lie. "So, let's move! The quicker we do this, the quicker we can leave."

"Things like this really highlight the similarities between you and your twin." I looked up at Seth, who was already heading back towards the village, not bothering to protest. He knew even better than me how pointless it would be. "Putting it to record that I'm fairly sure they're capable of running and escaping? Maybe not as fast, but there's been quite a bit of time." She just scowled, so I sighed. Yep, pointless. Hell, that explanation didn't even convince _me_. "Fine. Stay near me, okay?" I tucked the fan into one of the packs and gripped the lance tightly. My wrist throbbed, but I ignored it. Just a little more… just a little more, and then I could collapse, sleep, and maybe just not wake up. "Seth can kill people better without having to worry about us damsels being in distress."

Eirika and I made sure to keep our distance from Seth, mostly just to give him plenty of room to maneuver if need be. And for reasons he didn't explain, he actually took a completely different path once we were across the river. Though we were tempted to follow, Eirika and I continued our walk through the dark woods alone, like this was some silly little ghost-walk thing. Not us walking right back to a village under assault. And it was completely under attack. For gods' sakes, the place was _on fire_.

"Why are they burning the buildings?" I whispered, once we were near the edge of the woods and could properly see the flames slowly turning Rosewatch to ruins. Next to me, Eirika tensed and used her free hand to grip my sleeve. "Do they think people are hiding? Seriously?" Or were they just trying to make sure no one could come back? Or was this revenge for escaping Valter? This was my fault no matter what, though… "Biggest house is Grandpapa James's. _If_ anyone is in the village still here, that's my guess." It was one of the few with two floors and it was also the one least on fire. For now. "Still say that they've run already. Grandpapa James could run circles around half the Renaisi knights."

"Let's make sure," Eirika replied softly. She was still tense, and her rapier trembled. But her eyes were fierce and stubborn. "I don't want to assume." Of course she didn't. Well, couldn't blame her for that. "Do you hear that?" It took a moment to hear anything past the crackling of the flames, but I did eventually hear the sounds of metal on metal, and screams of 'the Silver Knight!'. "Seth… that's why he split off. He's distracting them so we can look." She shakily took a deep breath, and nodded. "We can't waste this chance." She was right.

So, I nodded and led the way again, keeping to the woods as much as possible in order to reach Grandpapa James's home. As we got close, I noticed the window on the second floor was open and that was unusual enough to shake me. No one left the windows open at night, especially at this time of year. Bugs were a pain in the neck. Not to mention how you'd get terrible wakeup calls in the form of terrified birds who accidentally flew in and couldn't figure out how to escape again. So, the fact that it was open was… well, it made me hurry my pace. And not keep focused on hiding. Which turned out to be bad, because not _every_ Grado soldier had gone after Seth. At least one had been near the house, and they heard the noise I was making (and forced Eirika to make) and came to investigate. They opened their mouth to shout, but they barely got the sound out before something very heavy hit them in the head. Without thinking about it, I whipped my lance around and skewered them through the throat, just as Orson had taught me, and only then thought to look at just what the object had been. The answer was a book. A very thick, very heavy book. A very thick, very heavy cookbook.

"Emma! Thank goodness!" Emilia's breathless voice drew my attention upwards, and I saw her leaning out the open window. Maddie was right next to her, staring at the corpse with terrified eyes. "Grandpapa James tried to get to your house to make sure you were okay, but he got injured," she explained shakily. For the upteenth time that time, I went cold with terror, with a spike of confusion holding the chill in place. Why had he'd done that? Even if he was in good shape, he was still elderly. The body couldn't heal as well at that age, even with healing magic. Which we had none of. Gods, did we even have basic first aid? "Uh… okay, how to get…"

I was moving. I didn't even really process I _was_ moving until I heard Emilia yelp and Eirika calling for me to wait for her. I just ran, darting for the front, so frozen that I was completely numb to whatever pain or nausea or anything I'd been feeling before. Which was good, because when I made it there, I found two soldiers trying to push their way inside, perhaps hoping for hostages or something to make Seth falter, wherever he was. But I wasn't having it.

Using my lance, I tripped one so that they fell face first in the flames and then stabbed them through the back to keep them there. However, I didn't manage to disable the second one before they tried to strike. Not that it mattered, because Eirika was there, killing the soldier with a well-placed thrust to the eye. She stared at the two bodies, her face simultaneously pale and green. Me? Distantly, I knew I should be the same, and that I _would_ be the same, but I had _things to do_. Which meant I was running inside the burning building and cutting through the more fiery parts to make it up to where I'd seen Emilia and Maddie. I burned my hand opening the door, the knob was heated thanks to the flames, but I made it there. Not only that, but Lewis and a bleeding Grandpapa James were with them.

"We're running. It's bad." I could've almost hit myself for just how stupid I sounded then. The place was under attack and on fire. _Of course it was bad_. "Come on," I whispered, pulling Grandpapa James up so that I could carry him out. He wheezed and coughed in pain, and I winced when I saw how much he was bleeding. Worse, it was his abdomen. "Princess Eirika?"

"I'm here!" Eirika replied, appearing in the doorway. She had a few burns, and she was covered in soot and ash, but she smiled warmly as she held out a hand. "This way!" She ushered Lewis, Maddie, and Emilia out the door. I followed with Grandpapa James, barely able to keep upright due to his weight. "It's… it's going to be okay…"

"I can't believe you did something this stupid," I grumbled to Grandpapa James, mostly to help myself keep my focus as we walked through the increasingly unstable house. I was half-carrying him, mostly because I just couldn't fully carry him. Meaning we had to deal with him not being able to get his feet quite under him, along with all the smoke. Couldn't even crawl. It hurt to breathe. "I seriously can't believe it. My house was probably the safest place." I wouldn't mention Valter, or the very real danger I'd been in. "Since it's so far from the village and all."

"I figured… they were here because... they knew you were, little sun…" Grandpapa James protested with a terrible wheeze, using what strength he had to lean on me and press against the worst of his wounds. His blood seeped through his fingers and dripped on me; I swore it burned more than the fire. "So, I had to make sure…" He laughed. He actually laughed. It was more of a cough, and it sounded wet, but it was still recognizable as a laugh. "Even the toughest can be killed, little sun."

"Ignoring how I'm not tough at all, I had time to run." Though, explaining the last few days was going to be very interesting. Later. Much later. "We're at the steps. Just a little more to the door." I could see Emilia and Eirika waiting at the bottom, no doubt to help if needed. "We're almost out. We're almost safe."

"Good…" This time, he just coughed. His lips and chin were speckled with blood. I could only hope… that the cough hadn't caused that. "Good…"

Eirika had to dart up to catch us when I slipped on one of the stairs, but thanks to her, none of us fell and Emilia go us steady once we were safely on the floor. Then we headed outside where Maddie and Lewis were waiting. And where Seth was waiting as well, showing why the two were allowed outside in the first place. He said nothing as we joined him, and seemed completely impassive about everything, even the fact that he was splattered with enough blood to fill at least two tubs. He just nodded and picked up Maddie, carrying her in one arm while holding onto his lance with the other. Emilia picked up Lewis, since he was the smallest, and we escaped into the woods, hoping the trees and shadows would hide our flight. Behind us, Rosewatch burned, filled with corpses that would join the rest.

Orson was _seriously_ going to have a fit when he heard about this.

* * *

We made it to Seth's horse and the packs. We headed deeper into the woods, far beyond where any of us would've normally gone. The whole thing was a blur to me, though. I was tired. I ached. My wrist throbbed. My palm was blistered, raw and burning. My legs could barely bear my weight. It hurt to breathe. The only reason I hadn't puked my guts out was because I was simply too exhausted. I really just wanted to collapse and not move. But I kept moving. I kept moving. Because I had to. Meaning that was all I really focused on. That, keeping up with everyone, and not dropping Grandpapa James. Not until we were 'safe' and camped for the night. Day. Honestly had no idea what time it was.

Maddie and Lewis curled up to nap by the packs as soon as we stopped. Seth got a fire started and then left briefly, perhaps to patrol or something. Eirika and Emilia frantically rummaged through the packs until they brought out every shred of potential medical supplies we had. I set Grandpapa James down as gently as I could, using one of the packs to help elevate his feet because… because. It seemed like some first-aid-basic, even if I couldn't really piece together why that was. And it distracted me, briefly, by how… Grandpapa James was breathing, yes, but it was just barely. And it was more of a 'rattle' than a 'breath'. And his eyes were closed, and sunken. His skin was waxy-pale. And he was getting colder by the breath.

While Eirika attempted to get things organized, Emilia pulled up Grandpapa Jame's shirt to undo whatever bandage they'd put on before. When she pulled away the saturated mess of cloth, I… I could only stare in horror as I finally figured out why there had been _fresh_ blood on Valter's lance and armor. Because the wound was _vicious_ , like something had torn out a chunk of his side, and it looked similar to the ones Seth had suffered. Automatically, I covered the wound with my hands, putting pressure, but in what felt like a handful of heartbeats, my hands were swimming in the blood. And more coated them with each pulse.

"Ah, I wish I studied more first aid…" Eirika whispered, placing her hands on mine to help apply pressure. Emilia was looking frantically between what we had and the wound, piecing together the same thing I was. That nothing we had… nothing we had was going to… "But here, I can at least help with this? Sir, I'm so sorry, but try to hold..."

"Oh, we stopped moving?" Grandpapa James wheezed, coughing hard enough to force more blood out of his wound. Or maybe it was just the way he jerked. Either way, his eyes fluttered open, and his gaze was surprisingly clear for all the pain he was in. "Ah, you must be Princess Eirika." He reached up with a shaking, bloody hand and patted her on the head. "The best friend to our little sun. Good to finally meet you. She always brought back such fun stories when she visited."

"You sure now is the time to be saying anything?" I asked dryly, poking his cheek like he was just being stubborn about going to bed after a night of celebrating the harvest and my hands were sticky from candy. Not… not bleeding from a really bad injury and my hands were sticky from his blood. "Especially something like that?"

"This is precisely the time to talk, little sun." He continued patting Eirika on the head, and Eirika closed her eyes, willing back tears. She was piecing it together too. Emilia began hunting through the packs again, looking for _anything_ that might help. But he'd been bleeding too long. We all knew it. "This isn't your fault, your highness." No, it was mine. Mine, because I'd selfishly returned to the house. "But if you feel it is, then I do have a request."

"Of course!" Eirika replied instantly, opening her eyes again. They wavered with the tears she held back, but she made sure to smile. She smiled, and when Grandpapa James pulled his hand away, she grasped it gently between both of hers, no longer trying to prevent the inevitable. "What is it?"

"I'd like it if you survived. You and Prince Ephraim, so that you can save Renais." He smiled at her so kindly. "I want my grandchildren to know peace again."

"I will. They will." Eirika's voice cracked, but she still didn't cry. She just kept up the warm, reassuring smile. "My brother and I will restore Renais and help it prosper again. I promise."

"Good." He turned his attention to me then and reached up with his free hand. It shook so badly that he almost hit my eye, but instead, he brushed my cheeks, like he was wiping away tears. Tears that weren't there. "And you, little sun…" He then ruffled my hair, like he always did. "I'd like it if you remembered how to shine again. So, you have to live a little longer for that."

"That doesn't sound fair," I muttered. I caught his hand and held it, feeling the warmth slowly fade away. The charm bracelet he wore, and the one I wore… they trembled, but I didn't know if it was his fault, or mine. Both were bloody, though. "Really doesn't." I sighed and held on tighter, like I could will my warmth into him to replace what was leaving. I doubted it would work; it hadn't with Monica, after all. "Can't believe you're being mean right now."

"Humor an old man, little sun," Grandpapa James joked, even somehow laughing. Beside me, Emilia hung her head in defeat. The wound was bleeding sluggishly. I could feel the flow stopping with the hand I still pressed to it. "So?"

"Fine, I promise." As if I even knew what he meant. "...You should've just stayed at your house… I was fine…" I should've told him that Eirika and Seth were with me. If I had, he wouldn't have worried… why had he worried? "I…"

"It's the privilege of the old to worry about the young, even when they're old enough to fly on their own." Grandpapa James closed his eyes. His grip loosened. "So, live. Live, and fly." And two breaths later, two terribly painful breaths later, he was gone. And it… it felt so unreal. Just like when Monica died. It just… with all the death I'd experienced, you'd think I'd get used to how people were there one second, and gone the next. But I didn't. I couldn't.

At some point in that unreal haze, Seth rejoined us. He rested a muddy hand on my shoulder, and I realized he hadn't just been patrolling. Seeing the inevitable before the rest of us, he'd been digging a grave. Probably a shallow one, but one nonetheless. Because we couldn't take Grandpapa James with us. Much as we wanted to, Frelia was days away still. We couldn't carry a corpse for that long. So, I shuffled back, giving Seth the room he needed to pick up Grandpapa James. I thought about following him when he walked away, to watch him be buried, but I couldn't move my legs. I tried, but they had no strength to hold me up.

"Emma?" Emilia called shakily. She was still by the medical supplies, not looking at anyone. Eirika moved away to give us privacy, and… and I saw that Maddie and Lewis were awake again, so she was with them. Briefly. Before Maddie chased after Seth. "Emma, your wrist is swollen." It took a couple of blinks to register what she said, and then another few more to look down and confirm it. Took a while to remember that I'd sprained it earlier. I was numb. I didn't feel anything. "Let me brace it."

"Sure," I whispered, dragging myself over to her. She found some bandages to wrap around my wrist, and I found a small towel I could use to clean my bracelet when she was done. It was probably silly, since the rest of me was such a mess, but I… I wanted the blood off of it, at least. "So, I'm guessing he said some words to you, back at his house."

"Yes. I snapped at him for saying things like last words. He'd just laughed. He'd known…" He had to have known as soon as it hit. But he'd struggled to stay alive, long enough to see that we made it out safely. Long enough to say the words he wanted to say. "He more or less told me the same thing he told you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, though he added that I should give Daniel a good scolding for making us all worry so much." She tried to smile, but it cracked like her voice and dissolved into tears. "Why is this all happening? Why did Grado attack? Why…?"

There was no answer. I certainly didn't know. So all I could do was sit there and let her cry into my shoulder when she finished wrapping my wrist up (and bandaging my palm because I'd forgotten about those blisters). Then she crawled over to Lewis, to fuss over him, and I pushed myself a bit away to wipe the blood off the charms, hoping I could get all of it. Or even most of it. Eirika sat beside me, watching me work, and staying silent. All of us were silent. We were silent even when Seth returned with Maddie, both stained with mud. Not even the forest made a noise.

So, it was a surprise when Maddie broke the silence. "Princess Eirika?" she whispered, sitting in front of her. Her voice was thick and raspy, cracking a bit. I wondered if she'd been screaming before our escape. She and Lewis had been absolutely silent otherwise, but now she spoke, whispering earnestly. "Here." She handed Eirika something. It took a few seconds to realize it was Grandpapa James's charm bracelet, carefully wiped clean. "I want you to hold onto this."

"I… of course," Eirika agreed, probably automatically. She was slumped too much to be anything but tired, and she was always extra agreeable when she was worked to the bone and beyond. "But may I ask why?"

"So that you don't forget the promise. I want it back when things are peaceful again." She looked right at Eirika, her eyes wavering with tears she didn't know how to cry. It hurt too much. "Hold onto it, until then."

"...Okay." Eirika clutched it to her chest, and used her free hand to stroke Maddie's hair. "I'll keep it safe until then."

"Thank you." Maddie tried to smile, but it was too broken to be any sort of smile at all. And then she crawled over to Emilia and Lewis, getting hugs from both of them.

"So that's why she insisted on removing it," Seth whispered softly. He had stood behind Eirika and me, probably for protection, but now he knelt, studying Eirika's face. "You're pale, your highness. Did you suffer injuries?"

"No, I'm fine," she reassured quickly. So quickly that both Seth and I looked at her suspiciously, if only out of habit. "It's just… it really just hit me, that's all." Eirika cradled the charm bracelet in her hands, as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "This is war, isn't it? It's not something read in a history book, or some silly game played by children. This is real war." She laughed bitterly, smiling painfully at the bracelet. "Words are meaningless, aren't they? All that matters is strength, and if you have none, you're cut down without so much as a second thought. And I am not strong. Not in the way war requires."

"Princess Eirika…"

"But… but I promised. I promised, so I won't give in to the despair in my heart." She slipped the charm bracelet on, right above the one she always wore, the gold one with a blue gem. Ephraim had a matching one. "I'll be okay, Seth. I won't break. Right now, I'm only strong enough to hold the hand of a dying man, but I'll become stronger. Until I've fulfilled my promise, I won't give up." The words might've been more believable if she didn't look like hell, or if she could sit up straight, but they were still enough. Enough for me, at least. "So, we head to Frelia, yes?"

"Yes, and we're not too far. A few more days from the border." He glanced at Emilia, Maddie, and Lewis. "We'll drop the three off at a village as soon as we can after crossing, before heading for the border fort, Mulan." He looked to me, waiting until I looked back at him before continuing. It took a bit. Mostly because I tried to remember where Maddie and Lewis's parents and siblings had gone, but I couldn't remember at all. "Emma, what will you do?"

"That's…" I began, but I ran out of words quickly. I didn't know what to do. I really didn't. I… honestly, I hadn't 'planned' for more than a couple hours ahead since Monica died. So now, I had no idea how to do that. "I suppose I'll stay with you two. At least until we're in Serton. If that's okay."

"It's more than okay," Eirika immediately reassured, smiling at me. It was that tired, worn, but still warm smile that was becoming her 'normal'. I wished Grandpapa James had at least gotten to see her 'real' smile. "I'm glad to travel with you again, even if circumstances are… not the best."

"There's that diplomacy and tact kicking in." The teasing dryness was completely automatic. I didn't even register saying the words until after I said them. "So, do we do watches or something?"

" _I_ will take first watch," Seth stated firmly, standing back up. The look in his eyes made me think that was 'first and only' watch. "You two rest. We may be close, but it is still a hard journey ahead."

I didn't even pretend to protest, and Eirika only made a token one. The idea of finally being able to rest was just too much of a blessing. We didn't try to pull blankets or whatever out of the packs, just used the packs themselves as pillows and huddled all together for warmth. I only woke up once during the night, when Maddie squirmed her way over to me, trembling from a nightmare. I made sure to hold her tightly until she fell back asleep, glad to at least be able to give her _some_ sort of comfort.

Gods, what _was_ going on? I had no idea. About any of this, really. One day at a time. One step at a time. Too tired for more. Far, far too tired for more.

* * *

_Emma_

_Younger daughter of one of King Fado's personal knights and a famous Jehannan mercenary, she's been a casual acquaintance of the royal family for years, due to her parents' friendship with the king and queen, and later due to Orson being assigned as one of Prince Ephraim's personal knights. It's because of this that four years ago King Fado asked her to become Princess Eirika's lady in waiting, a task she was eager to take up because she wanted to keep Renais safe, just as her father did_

_As a lady in waiting, she was expected to have basic weaponry skills, though unlike others, she didn't truly specialize in one weapon. Instead, she was trained to know a little bit of anything that could be used, to lessen the chances of her being unable to protect Princess Eirika. Thanks to how peaceful everything was in recent years, though, she's never had to use the training prior to the war_

_Death has, sadly, been very common in her life. Despite being seventeen, she's lost her parents, her sister, and most of her friends. Until her sister's death, however, she did her best to keep resilient, shining like the sun. Monica's death broke her, though, and she isolated herself in grief and slowly wasting away._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: ...Yeah, okay, I'm sure people are confused. Basically, I had a problem with the original version. Multiple problems. Now, granted, normally when I have problems with my novelizations, I just push through and keep going. Learning process and all. But for Fe8's? It wasn't just bugging me. It was actively bothering me, to the point where not only was I dreading having to write the next chapters (despite being almost done), it was draining me of wanting to write other things as well (not helped by life being _super_ busy). So, I did what I don't normally do; start over. Many details will be the same; all pairings will be the same. But not everything. For one thing, Emma's background is slightly different. For another, there are relationships that I want/wanted to explore more. And build up Magvel's world more evenly. And some other stuff. Thus, here we are, back at the beginning again. Think of it like starting a new playthrough in a game where you know more about what you're doing. And, for emphasis, this is NOT something I do normally. Normally, I'd finish and then, if I want to revist a game to novelize it, I do a completely different one (did this for Dragon Age: Origins, actually). Meaning that this will probably be a one-time thing. (So, please don't go requesting me to 'start over' any other novelizations. Not only am I happy with most of them, but I've enough projects as is! ...And I'm tentatively planning details for Three Houses, meaning I REALLY have enough projects)
> 
> Now that that's out of the way… uh… welcome back? For neatness sake, we're doing one bio per thing instead of 'bio appears on recruitment' thing. To lessen the chances of me forgetting people. That's… about all I have to say, really.
> 
> Next Chapter - Escape


	2. Chapter 1) Escape

Chapter 1) Escape

* * *

_Everything went topsy-turvy in a few short days. Long days. Whichever. Rosewatch is gone. Renais has fallen. Grandpapa James died. And after leaving her service six months ago, I am once again traveling with Eirika to Frelia. Though never in circumstances like this. Never in such secrecy, and never with so few people._

_Orson was going to be so mad when he heard about all of this._

* * *

I couldn't believe that during the mess of everything that had happened at Rosewatch, Seth still had made sure not only to pack the vial of susinum Victor had given me, but also that it was wrapped up protectively in cloths so that it wouldn't break. Really, I couldn't believe it. But the vial in my hand was proof of it. He really had spared those precious seconds to do that. I had no doubts it was because he knew how important the perfume was to Orson, Monica, and me. Ha… he was often subtle in how much he adored the people around him, but things like this made it loud and clear.

A little bit of laughter made me look up from the vial and I had to smile slightly when I saw it was Maddie who laughed. She and Lewis rode on Seth's horse as we walked down the quiet road, with Emilia walking next to them, joking and fussing in equal measure. Every once in a while, Seth would reassure her, but he mostly kept silent, his attention fixed on the area around us, just in case. We were almost at the 'official' border between Renais and Frelia, but Grado wouldn't give up on Eirika just yet.

"That's susinum, right?" Eirika asked, peering at the vial. She and I walked side-by-side, helping each other when our feet began aching. Hers no doubted ached more, though, since she wore some of Monica's old shoes instead of her normal ones, meaning they didn't fit. Honestly, it was a bit strange to see her in something so simple like Monica's dresses. Unlike Ephraim, Eirika never snuck into town, so she was always wearing something 'princessy'. Even her 'simple' things. "That pretty perfume you wear on very special occasions."

"Yes, it is," I confirmed softly. After a moment, I opened the vial, just to let the scent diffuse around us. It had been Mom's favorite perfume, and she always called it her 'one indulgence' because how of expensive it typically was. She'd always worn it, so even now, I found comfort in it. I used to find strength in it too, but that was too much nowadays. But it conjured up the memory of Mom's smile and laugh better than anything else. "I thought it had been left behind, but it was wrapped up in the dress I'm wearing."

"Lucky!" She beamed, but I caught the slight envy in her expression. She hadn't been able to bring anything from the castle with her, and given the suddenness of the escape, Seth hadn't been able to pack as extensively as he had for our flight from Rosewatch. "I wonder if…"

"It's a shame you weren't wearing those earrings you like." I capped the vial and tucked it gently in my pocket before 'casually' fussing with the sash around my waist. It hid the Rausten fan I carried, so I couldn't fuss much without risking it falling. But the fussing was more me pretending than anything else. "Those flower drops you got from Prince Lyon last time you saw him?"

"Emma!" Eirika scowled, but that did nothing to hide how pink her face got. "I can't believe…!"

"What? You were practically over the moon when he gave them to you, and you refused to wear any other pair of earrings for a solid month. Certainly made it easier to choose which jewelry you'd wear to court functions, of course." I continued being casual and 'innocent'. Eirika continued sulking. "Now that I think about it, after you got them, you started making plans to-"

"Ack!" Eirika quickly covered my mouth, waving off Emilia and Seth's concerned looks when she noticed them watching. I did the same, mostly to help out. "It's too early for your teasing, Emma!" I supposed she had a point there. It was just after dawn. "Goodness…"

"You have always had very fun reactions, Princess Eirika." I muffled a snicker, but I shook my head before bowing it apologetically. "I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have brought that up, considering the current circumstances."

"...I wonder what Lyon is thinking about all of this…" Eirika sighed and looked down, pretending to simply be skipping about. I knew she was hiding, though. "He's always hating fighting. Unless it's a debate, he can't even stand arguing."

"...I do not know Prince Lyon as well as you do, Princess Eirika, but I am certain at the moment, he worries for you and your brother." I clasped my hands behind my back and ducked down slightly so that I could look her in the eye. "So, that is simply another reason why we must get to safety. Once word spreads that you are safely in Frelia, I'm sure the pain in his heart will ease."

"If only I could send him a message…"

"Would you confess your feelings for him in said message?"

"Hmm… well… wait!" Eirika's face turned pink again, and I bit back a little smile. "Oh, you're incorrigible sometimes!" She scowled at me, still bright pink. "I should tease you about _your_ crushes! Didn't you have one on-!"

"Don't!" Now it was my turn to cover her mouth, made more difficult by her squirming and laughing. But I definitely didn't want her to say that I once had a crush on Seth while _he was standing right there_! "That was ages ago. I don't have a crush on anyone for the moment." I winced as I thought of Orson and Monica, just because 'crushes' and 'love' always led my thoughts to them. They had been so happy at their wedding… to see it cut short before they'd been married even three years was just…

"Emma?" Eirika saw the instant change in my mood, and studied me with a little frown, trying to guess what had caused it. She figured it out quickly, though. "Orson and Monica's wedding really had been nice…" Because of course she had attended. She'd been almost as excited as I had been.

"Yes, it had." And it was probably the _one_ ceremony I'd ever seen Prince Ephraim not try to ditch, truthfully. Made it extra memorable. "If only…" I had no idea what I wanted to say. Except maybe 'if only it had been me instead'... if it had, then Orson and Monica would still be happy together and…

"Hey, Emma?" Eirika waited for me to look at her. "You're thinking something dark, aren't you?" I had no way to answer that. Was it 'dark' when it was the truth? Besides, it was preferable to being alone. "Emma."

"Yes?"

"You're not alone, remember? After all, I'm going to outlive you. I promised." It took a moment to recall that memory. It had been after that wave of yellow fever took out Rosewatch. Most of my friends had been among the victims. I'd done my best to be strong, but it had been hard. So, Eirika had promised me, during one particularly rough day, that she'd outlive me. That I would never have to bury her. That way I would never be alone.

"...Ha… yes, I remember." I smiled bitterly. She was just so… "I also recall me protesting that promise." I hadn't wanted to inflict that pain on her.

"Too bad, because I said it first!" She grinned, though her eyes were serious. And she was always stubborn. "Besides, I promised Grandfather James too." She'd first just used his name, but it had sounded so wrong to our ears that Maddie had insisted Eirika call him 'Grandpapa James' as Emilia and I did. Eirika compromised. "I will live. I will grow stronger. And Ephraim and I will save and restore Renais." She held up her wrist and let the charms sparkle in the sunlight. "These charms are gorgeous, though. Where did he get them?"

"Eirika, I know I told you that all the charms are handmade." Glad for the subject change, I looked down at my own charm bracelet, smiling faintly as they sparkled in the sun. It had taken a couple of days, but I did manage to get the blood off. Of course, I wondered how long they would remain clean. "Grandpapa James was the one who made all of them. Each one has a meaning."

"Really?"

"Yes, like this one here?" I pointed to one I could see easily, two intersecting rings. "He made to celebrate his marriage…"

We went through each charm on the bracelet, because I knew each story. Grandpapa James had never hidden any of them from me. Always said it was because I 'shone too brightly' for him to hide. I thought it was just because he loved stories and he was proud of the life he lived. I could only hope that he'd be… at least okay… with the death he'd had...

* * *

Even after we crossed the official border, it was still a couple of days before we found a village with people. Those closest to the border had evacuated, in case battles spilled over. But that didn't mean the Frelians were unwelcoming of refugees or anything. The ones in the village we found… we barely had to say anything before they welcomed us with hugs and treats. Classic Frelian treats too, meaning that while they _looked_ simple, they were packed with all sorts of spices that sated any hunger from the first bite and left your mouth feeling a little tingly.

"Now, you be extra good for Emilia and Maddie, okay?" I told Lewis once the treats were devoured and it was time to go. He nodded at me, tearing up slightly. But silently. He'd been completely silent since Rosewatch burned and Grandpapa James died. I thought it was the shock of everything. "Everything is very scary now, but you'll be okay here." I crouched down to hug him, and he clung to my back. Silently begging me not to go… but I… "If you've been good, then next time I see you, I'll get you lots of candy." What else could I say? Everything was so different now… "So, until then."

It took quite a bit of wriggling and wiggling to get free of Lewis's grip, and even then, I only really managed it with Emilia's help. And he would've latched right back on if Seth hadn't 'happen to pass by' and pick him up to say goodbye to his horse. Of course, I ended up being caught by Emilia's hug, but she was easier to reason with than Lewis. Most days.

"Are you sure you won't just stay with us?" she asked softly, hugging me so tight that I swore my ribs creaked. I certainly couldn't breathe. "Your hand is still injured, you know." Why, yes, I had completely forgotten about the popped blisters on my palm and the bruising on my wrist from the sprain." And Lewis and Maddie would feel so much better…"

"They'll stop their fretting once you got them distracted with toys," I half-protested, taking a half-step back just to get some air. When I did, though, I made sure to hug her back. "Besides, I might find out information about Orson if I go with them."

"I think you underestimate how comforting your presence is." Emilia pulled away slightly to frown at me. To avoid it, I glanced to the side, and saw Eirika and Maddie talking softly yet seriously. "Besides, you and I both know that Orson is a secondary reason. You want to make sure Princess Eirika arrives safely."

"She's traveling with Seth. I fear for our enemies if they try to do her harm." Of course, Seth was still recovering… "You overestimate me."

"No, I don't. You just can't see it anymore." She sighed and hugged me too tightly again. Swore this time, my spine popped. "Keep a weapon on you at all times, okay? And remember that you promised Grandpapa James that you'd stay alive."

"Right…" Remember how to shine, huh? Still thought it was mean of him to say, right at the end. But I'd humor him. Because he was him, and that was one of the last things he'd said to me. "I will."

"Emma."

"I promise."

"Good." Somehow, she squeezed me even tighter. "Good…"

"Emilia, I can't breathe."

"Ack, sorry!"

Emilia spent far too long apologizing, which I suspected was a half-hearted attempt to delay me into staying with them. However, Eirika and Maddie's talk took just as long, and there was no way Seth was leaving her. So, we said our goodbyes and set off, all three of us walking while Seth led his horse. It wasn't as if the village had one to spare, after all. Those of them who could ride had already gone to Mulan and Seron to enlist and bolster Frelia's forces. There had been no 'official' draft yet, according to them, but I had a feeling it was coming.

"It's so sad that they're enlisting," Eirika murmured once the village was out of sight. I had a feeling she'd bring it up. "To leave their peaceful lives…"

"Nothing is really peaceful anymore, Princess Eirika," Seth gently chided, urging his horse to not stop and nibble on whatever grass held his attention. Tyr flicked his ears back in annoyance, but obeyed. "And Frelia will need every soldier it can get."

"Because Grado's army is the largest on the continent. I know enough about military matters to know that." Besides, that was half common sense. Grado was the largest country. "You would need to band together all the other countries to match them in numbers, right?"

"Not quite, but that's a good enough comparison. Grado's numbers are such that they can send wave after wave of soldiers, and conquer through overwhelming their enemies." Seth's eyes were dark as they considered that potential battlefield. "We also do not know what constitutes as 'acceptable losses' for their objectives."

"...No loss is acceptable, though…"

"Princess Eirika, you know that everyone surviving only happens in tales," I pointed out, surprised the thought even passed her lips. She could be too idealistic at times, yes, but that was a bit much. Even for her. "People are going to die. People already have. 'Acceptable losses' is simply a pretty way of saying 'so long as this percentage of my soldiers survives, we continue forward'." I shrugged off her frown, and skipped to dodge a puddle. "What? I stole Orson's books and read through a few."

"You also wrote notes in the margins for him to find later," Seth added, chuckling at the memory. I felt a small blush creep on my face at that reminder. I'd added some for him as well, once Orson wrote about him. "You also asked for additional lessons."

"Just some. Mostly to help Princess Eirika if we were in a situation where we had to defend the castle or something." I'd never call myself knowledgeable in the subject. But I did at least know some of the terms and usages. "What other reason would I have?"

"Your own interest?" Princess Eirika muttered, frowning more at me. She did soften when I looked at her skeptically. "Sorry… and I know you're right. But the idea of death being 'acceptable' like that is…" She sighed and shook her head before brushing her hair back behind her ear. I patted her on the shoulder, knowing what she meant now. "Seth, how far are we from Mulan?"

"We're not far," Seth answered easily. He pointed to some hills that we could barely see on the horizon. "Once we crest those, it'll be within sight. We'll reach it within a few hours."

"Do you want to ride ahead and let them know, Seth? I'm safe with Emma."

"I shall wait until we're at the hill, your highness."

"Very well." Eirika snapped her fingers suddenly and poked my shoulder repeatedly. "You. Don't insult Innes this time, please?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a frown. I actually didn't know what she was talking about. "I rarely talk when you're doing official business, and that's the only time I've been around him?" At her frown, I crossed my arms, mostly to have them do something, and tried to remember. But I came up blank. "Nope. Nothing." It probably didn't help that it had been at least a year since I'd been to Frelia with her.

"You said, and I more or less quote from here, 'given how fond he is of his high horse, you would think he would be better at riding'." That did sound like me. Couldn't deny that. And if I were annoyed enough, it might've been actually said and not just in my head. "Still don't remember?"

"I think I've thought something similar every time I've had to be in his presence. So, I'm afraid that alone won't spark anything." Charisma wasn't exactly Innes's strong suit. "But I shall endeavor to bite my tongue for you, Princess Eirika."

"...Don't actually bite your tongue again. Please." She sighed, resting a hand on her cheek. "I hope Tana is doing okay."

"I imagine she's quite worried over you and Prince Ephraim." I almost said something sarcastic about Ephraim's absence, but I managed to resist the urge. But it was another irritation, since I liked Princess Tana. She was sweet, and had a knack for bringing smiles to people's faces. It was like she'd gotten her own charisma, and taken what charisma Innes forgot. "How are your feet?"

"I'm fine." She answered a little quickly there. I looked down at her feet, noticing a bit of a limp, but she mimed for quiet and nodded over to Seth, who was gently petting his horse's neck. "I want both of them to have a breather. I'll say something if it gets too much, but it's no worse than breaking in new heels."

I wasn't so sure about that, but I did understand, so I simply moved a little closer so that she could use me as a crutch if need be. She smiled gratefully and did so, and we walked mostly in silence after that, more focused on moving weary feet. Or, in Seth's case, controlling a curious horse who was determined to nibble on every bit of greenery we passed. However, as we continued down the road, it soon became clear that something was wrong. There were barely any animals. You could see and hear some squirrels and birds here and there, but for the most part, they were darting deeper into the surrounding hills and woods. I mean… it wasn't unusual for wild animals to avoid people, but that was more of a 'if they saw you' sort of thing. And you could often still hear them. But we couldn't. Not now. Like they weren't just hiding. It was like they were staying as still as possible, to avoid any and all attention. Or had just run that damn far away. And when we climbed to the top of the hill, we found out why. The valley below was littered with corpses connected by trails of blood, broken weapons, and armor shards. And at the gates, there were no soldiers wearing the dark green of Frelia. Only those wearing the deep crimson of Grado.

"No…" Eirika breathed, covering her mouth and staring in wide-eyed horror. I took her other hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Even though I knew there was no way to reassure her at the sight of this. "When…? How?"

"They must have sent forces here in anticipation of our flight," Seth murmured, standing closer to better protect us. He even got his lance out, just in case, despite there being no signs of enemy close to us. "The bodies and battlefield look fresh… the blood has not yet dried completely."

"If that's the case, then can we help?" Eirika looked over at Seth pleadingly, and Seth closed his eyes, thinking. "Surely there's something…"

"Slight reminder that there's three of us," I pointed out with a sigh. While admirable, there were just limits to how much anyone could help. "And only one of us three has extensive battle training." And yes, Seth was a damn good warrior. But asking him to more or less kill… however many were here… by himself? Madness. "And I'm assuming the place had been fully armed prior to us arriving?"

"I know it sounds foolish, but…" Eirika began, wincing. She fiddled with the charms on the bracelet, and I knew she was thinking of Rosewatch. "I just… if we must move on, then I'll grit my teeth, but I would rather not leave anyone behind? I know it's a silly notion, but I can't stand the thought of people suffering from these atrocities."

"We might find only the dying, you know."

"Then I can at least hold their hand." Her eyes hardened with resolve, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to sigh or smile. Or both. "I'm strong enough for that, at least."

"Let us first see _if_ there is anything we can do," Seth finally said softly, opening his eyes. He began checking his saddle, making sure everything was secure. Eirika and I grabbed our weapons, and my wrist twinged with the weight of the lance. I'd have to be careful. "Leaving to get reinforcements might be of more assistance than helping directly, after all. In addition, Princess Eirika…"

"I have to live," Eirika murmured, gripping the rapier tightly. Her eyes were dark now, and her complexion gained a green tinge to it. She was remembering those soldiers we killed. "I made a promise, and my people need me. I won't forget, Seth."

"Good." Seth finished his checks and began leading his horse down the hill. I supposed riding right now would make him a larger target. "Stay near me."

Here was to another long day… yay.

* * *

Of course, getting closer was much easier said than done. My experience with 'sneaking' was more or less limited to hide and sneak and being a nosy little brat of a little sister. Eirika only had the hide and sneak part. And Seth… well, knights weren't known for being _sneaky_. That wasn't their job, though you had some like Dad and Orson who took advantage of that perception. Plus we had a horse, though thankfully one that was behaving much better now than earlier. It was an outright miracle we got as close as we did without being caught, and it was a second miracle that the one who caught us was friendly.

"Princess Eirika! General Seth!" Franz greeted with a bright smile. I knew him fairly well. He was the youngest son of Felix, one of Dad's best friends, and had served as Seth's squire these past couple of years. Meaning that Orson had dragged him to Rosewatch for festivals just as he had Seth. "I'm glad to see you're well!" That's when he noticed me, and I awkwardly waved. He waved back, just as awkwardly. Yay for us.

"I'm pleased to see you unscathed as well, Franz!" Eirika replied, smiling warmly. She nodded to the fort, which was still in view. And we weren't because of the shadows of the hills. Hopefully. "Can you tell us more?"

"Sir Gilliam will probably be better, your highness."

"Sir Gilliam, leader of the East Watch, yes?" Seth asked, smiling slightly. I didn't know the name, but I did know the 'East Watch'. Mostly because Frelia was very… well, the 'East Watch' was the quarter of the Verdant Corps that operated in the east. Easy naming, really. "I gather you informed him of the situation?"

"Y-yes, sir!" Franz confirmed, standing a little taller. I ducked my head to hide a little smile, noting that he still looked a little small in his armor. Hadn't quite grown into it yet. "They're stationed over here, sir! This way!"

Franz led us, quickly and perhaps a little stiffly, to an area surrounded by trees, behind one of the hills. A good place to observe from, and a good place to hide. There, we finally found Frelian soldiers. Most were tending to weapons and supplies, but there were a few crouched around a map sketched into the dirt. One of them was a man in heavy armor, who had a severe look about him. Hawkish, and a face near permanently stuck in a stern glare. He glanced up as we approached and stood, careful to not mess up anything on or around the map.

"Well met, Silver Knight," he greeted, nodding his head. Seth returned the gesture before looking at the map. "I am Gilliam of the East Watch. Apologies for getting right down to business, but there's little time. Princess Tana is in the fortress, you see."

"Tana is?!" Eirika gasped, eyes going wide. I felt a headache come on and rubbed my temple to try and ward it away. "Why would she be here?"

"She was worried about you and Prince Ephraim, Princess Eirika." This time, Gilliam saluted, probably because a bow would be awkward in that armor. "She insisted on staying even as the defenses here were diverted to the south to assist Prince Innes."

"Is Grado…?"

"Aye, Grado launched an assault to the south not long after they crushed Serafew." So, they annihilated Renais, and now were trying to do the same to Frelia? What was the point? World domination? That sounded like way more of a pain than it was worth, really. I'd seen what all Eirika had to do to manage just a single castle, and that was way too much. "I am certain Princess Tana is safe, however. She'll have great value as a hostage."

"Why didn't she fly?"

"She didn't want to draw attention, particularly since most of our pegasus knights are to the south already." Well, now she definitely had attention. "Here, come by the map." Gilliam gestured and returned to where he'd been kneeling on the ground. Seth immediately tied his horse to a branch and joined him, while Eirika followed without hesitation. I hung back briefly, but when Franz quietly took a place behind Seth… well, I felt awkward, so I went to Eirika's side. But I could already tell that whatever they'd been debating about was beyond my knowledge, because I had no idea how to read that map. And I definitely had no inclination to learn right now.

"It appeared to be a recent takeover, so I imagine they don't have full control of the defenses yet," Seth murmured, easily making sense of the lines and circles. Franz leaned a little closer to look as well. I seriously debated just going to sit somewhere, or seeing if there was at least busy work I could do, but Eirika reached back and grabbed my sleeve, so I was stuck. "Still, if we don't move carefully… well, hostages would work on us as well."

"That's been the sticking point," Gilliam agreed, using a twig to draw out something on the map. It just looked like a square to me. "Best would be to have someone sneak inside, but…" He gestured at his heavy armor. That was no doubt prone to clanking. "Armor and sneaking don't go hand in hand."

"No, they don't." Seth frowned, clearly thinking. Then, for some reason, he glanced briefly at me. Before shaking his head and returning his attention to the map. "Perhaps a distraction?"

"That's where our line of thinking has gone…" They continued talking tactics, with other soldiers weighing in, but I tuned them out as I tried to think of why Seth would look at me at all during this. When I pushed my hair out of my face, though, I figured it out pretty damn quick. And I wondered if I should, since it was risky and stupid and Orson would have an ulcer just over the thought, but… I didn't want Eirika to lose a friend… and no matter how arrogant I thought Innes could be, I wouldn't wish the pain of losing a sibling on anyone, and Eirika considered him a friend as well, so I…

"Should I try to sneak in?" I volunteered softly. Eirika frowned at me, as the other soldiers looked skeptical. Seth, however, closed his eyes and smiled very, very slightly. "Yes, I know. I look like a child could kill me with a spoon. But, well…" I tugged at my hair. "Red hair, red eyes? Almost anyone who looks at me is just going to see a Jehannan mercenary walking about and not think anything more of it." And that was why Seth had looked at me. Because I knew from Orson that Seth had used this very ruse quite a few times in the past, before songs immortalized his exploits and made him the famous Silver Knight. "Should give me a bit of a buffer if I'm seen." More like 'when'. Seriously, I used to be good at hide and seek, sure, but that was about it. "I can at least confirm Princess Tana's location, and whether there are any surviving knights within the walls."

"...Well, if you're volunteering, information on locations alone will help a lot," Gilliam murmured. It was really hard to tell what he was thinking. "Why don't we have Franz go with you, if you don't mind, General Seth? He'd be better than mine at sneaking."

There was a little bit more talk, which I paid not a bit of attention to as the idiocy of what I'd volunteered to do hit me, and a couple of the Frelian soldiers lent me some light leather armor to wear to help 'sell' the whole 'mercenary look'. Franz changed into similar armor to not stand out as much and in a blur that was both too long and too short, we were inside the fortress thanks to a side entrance. It only took me two steps to really regret doing this. But I was a little stuck.

"It's… ah… good to see you again, by the way," Franz mumbled once we were inside. He nervously looked around the halls, stiffening whenever it seemed like someone was passing by. I'd probably do the same, but I was too tired, really. I wanted a nap. Or just lay down and not move at all. "Circumstances aren't nice and all, but…"

"Good to see you again too," I murmured, mostly out of politeness. We were just wandering the halls, looking for any sign of where prisoners might be. Dungeons, of course, but where would they be? Besides 'down some stairs we had to find somewhere'? "Congrats on your knighthood, by the way. Orson told me."

"Oh, thank you!" Franz beamed, a pleased blush blooming on his face. Things like this reminded me that he was younger than me. Of course, he was maybe only a year younger, but a year was a big difference at our age! "I thought I was going to bite my tongue and mess up the oath the whole time."

"Have some more confidence. Though, not too much." Automatically, I thought of his brother and shook my head. "We don't need you sleeping during fights like Forde."

"Hey, he's awake when it counts." Franz grinned, mood brightening immediately at the mention of his brother. Forde had that sort of effect. I almost thought it was on purpose. "I can't wait to see him again. There's a lot to tell him."

"There is…" And irritation spiked through me as I thought of why Forde wasn't here. Forde was one of Ephraim's personal knights. Meaning that he was gods knew where just like Orson and Kyle. "Would be nice if a certain prince would've given everyone's families some notice before gallivanting about, but no, he just had to…!"

"Hey, you got lively fast." ...Eirika mentioned something like that too. "But I'm certain they're fine."

"Really?" I glanced at Franz, and was surprised at the confidence in his eyes and expression. He really did have no doubts. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, Forde and Orson won't leave us alone." He smiled warmly. "And neither are the type to leave behind their friends. So, they're fine."

"...I hope so…" But I wasn't… I couldn't…

"It's fine." Somehow, Franz's smile got even warmer. "I'll hold onto the hope for you, until you're ready to pick it up." That was… uh… "Oh, are those stairs?"

There were, in fact, stairs and I nearly walked right on past them because I was so distracted by the conversation. But thankfully, Franz was always dutiful, so we headed down the stairs, keeping a hand on the wall because of how steep they were. So steep that I half-wondered if we'd need a pegasus to make it down safely. But, surprisingly, we made it to the bottom and, even more surprisingly, there were no guards. No convenient keys, of course, but no guards meant we didn't have to fight and potentially expose ourselves too soon.

"Well, you don't look like you're from Grado." It also meant we found Tana fairly quickly. "Are you mercenaries?" she asked, peering at us in confusion. She looked… no worse for wear, thankfully. Bit of dirt, bit of blood that clearly wasn't hers. And nothing that looked like she'd watched a lot of people die in front of her. "Wait, don't I know you?" She frowned, peering at my face. Then she gasped. "I do! You're Eirika's lady in waiting! Emma, right? Though…" She was back to frowning. She changed moods quickly. "Didn't you leave her service, actually? I remember Eirika writing about that."

"We can share stories _after_ securing your safety, Princess Tana," I replied dryly, not quite able to help it. The dungeons of a captured fort weren't exactly conductive to proper tea and gossip. "Of course, we'll have to find a key first."

"Actually, if you've a hairpin or something, I can try picking it," Franz volunteered with nary a moment's hesitation. It took me _quite_ a few blinks to process that sentence. "...Forde taught me. Said it was a useful skill to know."

"I am strangely unsurprised by his knowledge." Now, the question became… where did Forde learn? "I don't have a hair pin, though." Tana went through her pockets and produced a few, passing them to Franz. "I won't ask why you have these." She was wearing a simple ponytail! There was no reason for them! "I'll go see if there's anyone else down here."

The answer ended up being 'yes'. There were some wounded soldiers in the cells further down, no doubt to be used as 'examples' or something later. So, when Franz freed Tana, he got them out too and we all slowly climbed those far too freaking steep stairs back to the ground floor. The climb was made slower because of how many times someone slipped, but it was hard to be mad. Wounded, crammed into cells, and now stuck with a climb that would make a cat yowl in fear? I was just glad no one fell. However, the slowness did mean one thing: lots of time used. Meaning that we climbed the stairs, stepped into the hall, and came face to face with a Grado soldier who had probably been patrolling.

"Franz, go!" I snapped almost immediately, lunging forward to shove the soldier before they could react. Franz, thankfully, didn't hesitate at all, but got everyone down the hall as quickly as possible. There was the sound of some fighting, hinting they ran into trouble, but I had other issues. More enemies, a trio of them to be specific, no doubt drawn to the strange sounds. "Freaking…" Oh, I really had no idea what I was doing… I should've made Seth give me lessons on the way or something.

But regrets were for people who _didn't have things to do_ , so I got my lance up and managed to parry a sword strike before countering and catching one in the abdomen. I ripped through heir skin, wrinkling my nose at the putrid smell that erupted along with the blood, and lunged to attack a different one. A glancing blow off their chest armor led to me just grazing their neck and earning a gash on my arm, but my second attempt caught them across the eyes. They screamed and stumbled back into the third, both toppling to the ground.

I seized my chance to escape, running as fast as I could through the halls. I had no idea where I was or where I was going. My wrist ached. My armed bled and burned. But I kept on running, until my legs were numb and my lungs felt frozen. My pulse thundered in my ears, louder than my footsteps, but I still ran, because even through both noises, I could hear others following. I wondered how they knew where I was, before realizing the obvious. Blood. I had blood streaming from a wound and dripping from a lance. I was leaving a trail. Well, since I didn't run into Franz, Tana, or the others… I hoped it meant I was at least leading them away…

I slid to a stop, and nearly fell, when I saw an open window and I climbed out, deciding that it was a suitable enough escape. And nearly injured my ankles because I forgot to check how high I was, but thankfully, it hadn't been _too_ high. Just more of the ground being low. Either way, though, my ankles were intact, so I kept on running, hoping that sweat didn't run into my eyes. Or that I didn't slip in the mud. Or that they wouldn't keep pursuing me. Or… well, actually, I hoped for a lot of things. Most importantly… that my stamina would hold up until I was in some sort of safety.

Thankfully, it did. I didn't feel my energy give out until I made it back among the trees, and saw Seth waiting. "Franz made it back," he informed me, passing me a canteen. I guzzled the water, and almost coughed all of it up as my lungs began protesting the recent treatment. Everything hurt... "You okay? I see the wound on your arm."

"I am so out of shape…" I groaned, wiping at my face with my non-injured arm. And accidentally spilling water on me because that was the hand I was holding the canteen in, but I didn't care. It was actually a bit refreshing. "I used to be able to run in _heels_ …"

"You can lament that while we get your arm fixed." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and helped me to the camp. Gilliam and his soldiers were talking quickly, preparing for the actual assault or so I guessed. "Good job. I knew you would be a good choice. Even if Orson will kill me when he learns."

"Hey, mission success, so yay?" Oh, gods, I was too tired for this… "When can I pass out?"

"When we're in the fort."

"Damn."

* * *

"Hey, Eirika, where did the charm bracelet come from?" Tana asked, poking one of the dangling charms. It was such a strange question, considering we had wounded groaning and whimpering behind us. "I've never seen it before."

"I'll explain later, Tana," Eirika answered, giving her friend a dubious look. Couldn't blame her for that one. "Now is not the time for idle conversation."

"Someone's got to break the silence before we go mad." Tana shrugged and looked out over the field where the fighting was. "Wish I had my pegasus. I could help more if I did. Like ferrying the injured farther away from the battle."

"That would've been nice…"

I ignored both of them, gripping my lance so hard that my wrists ached. But I couldn't relax my hands at all. After all, there was a battle. Because while the ones we rescued revealed that there were more injured held within, Gilliam decided that they had to take the fort sooner rather than later. So, strategies were concocted and discarded and blended until they got some viable plan, and then all the soldiers marched into battle. While Eirika, Tana, and me guarded those too injured to fight. And changed their bandages every once in a while. And only that, because we didn't really have the supplies to do anything else. Really, we didn't have the supplies to change their bandages, but some just kept bleeding through.

Sighing, I let Eirika and Tana continue watching and talking and turned to the wounded so that I did something besides test how much pressure it took to crack my hands or break a metal lance. Whatever kind of lance this was. All I knew was that it was very slim, easy for slipping into small and squishy places like eyeballs, but otherwise not the strongest. Though the reminder of how easily it could kill did make me squeamish. More than squeamish, actually, but my stomach was as tired as the rest of me. Too tired to try and throw its contents anywhere. Even with the gods awful smell from one of the wounded's injuries and… uh oh.

"Oh, you must be joking," I whispered, kneeling beside them. A wound on their arm was swollen, crusting over with what seemed to be pus, and smelled worse than a dead animal in the woods. Worse, though, was that their fingertips were blackened. Their entire hand shifted from red to brown to black. "Uh… hell." I rested my hand on their forehead, and nearly flinched at how warm they were. Fever, to the point that they were sweating. I brushed their matted hair out of their face, and absently noted that they were my age. And they squirmed at my touch, proving themselves to at least be half-awake. "Your highnesses?"

"What's wrong, Emma?" Eirika called. I was sure she looked curious, but I didn't move my attention at all. "Time to change bandages again?"

"No, uh…" Finally, I did glance over my shoulder. My expression must've told them how wrong things were, because Tana stiffened and Eirika paled. "I think… we have to cut this one's hand off?" So, plan. Plan… I didn't know. I didn't know anything besides basics. "Think this is a situation where a tourniquet is needed?" Maybe. Hell if I actually knew anything.

"Well, Syrene _did_ show me how to do one?" Tana squeaked, face turning an interesting pasty grey. Eirika half-turned away, covering her mouth. "Of course, we don't have proper… anything… for it. We'd have to improvise. Can it not wait?" I just shifted over so that she could see the arm for herself. "Fuck the gods…"

"Tana, language!" Eirika instantly hissed. Any other time, I would've teased, but I knew that it had just been force of habit. She was turning greener by the second. "Wait. That's not…"

"I'm going to joke about that later. But…" Tana ran a hand through her hair, knocking her ponytail down. "Should we…?"

"Either they're definitely going to die, or they'll just maybe die," I pointed out with a firmness I didn't feel. I just wanted to lay down and not deal with anything. "And the maybe die will be faster." So, basically either we were saving or mercy-killing. Great… ethical dilemmas were not my favorite thing. "I'll cut it." I stood up on shaking legs and readied my lance. At least, at first. Then I remembered that lances and 'cutting things off' generally weren't used together. So, I set it down and drew the fan, unfurling it and letting the sunlight catch the metal. "Well, saw it. Whatever. Get what you think will work."

Tana gathered everything. Eirika held the soldier down while I cut-sawed the limb off, halfway down the lower arm. The soldier screamed, sobbed, and whimpered through the whole operation, but thankfully was too weak to flail about or anything. I hurt my shoulder, elbow, and entire arm trying to get enough force to make it work (because it just wasn't made for this sort of thing). Blood gushed and spurted everywhere, and in retrospect, trying the tourniquet _first_ might've been better but we didn't know what we were doing. Once I got the hand off, Tana went to work trying to save their life. I got out of the way, coughing and gagging as I processed just what I did. I also checked the fan, and noticed that the edges were… not right. Not chipped or anything, but didn't look right. I'd have to get a blacksmith to look at it. Later. Much later.

In the middle of that daze, I heard a shout and jerked my head up to see a Grado soldier running for us. Energy and purpose flooded me, drowning any exhaustion and nausea I might've felt, and I snapped the fan closed and slipped it into my sash before scooping up my lance and lunging to meet the soldier head on. Since they hadn't expected that, I got two good hits in and dodged their attempt to counter. Before I could kill them, though, Eirika slipped to my side and finished them off with a thrust through the neck. Just in time for us to see a few more coming our way…

But Tana appeared on Eirika's other side with her own lance and the three of us worked together. None of us had more than basic training. We all needed to help each other. But, thankfully, it was a very small number, five at most, so we were able to kill them while suffering only minor injuries. Scrapes, and little cuts. Nothing bad. Better than the enemies. Better than the wounded we were protecting.

"I feel like I need to eat something just to have something to throw up," Tana groaned, leaning over and clutching her stomach. She coughed and gagged, spitting as her body dry-heaved. Nearby, Eirika was outright throwing up, since she actually _did_ eat today. Seeing and hearing both of them almost made me join them, but with the battle over, tiredness set in and I was just stuck with a swirling stomach. "Ugh…"

Not knowing what to do, I dropped my lance and went over to Eirika to hold back her hair as she kept vomiting. Then I found some water for them both and almost had some myself, curious if it would 'wake' my stomach long enough. But someone probably had to be 'well', so instead, I gave some to the wounded and checked on them. The one we did the amputation on still had a fever, but their groans proved them alive. Not all were. I found quite a few dead and had to drag them to the side. Honestly, healers dealt with this sort of shit every day? They had to be insane. Absolutely and completely insane…

When Eirika and Tana's bodies let them actually walk around, they took over for me, letting me at least sit down and rest my head on my knees. I didn't get to rest long, sadly. One of Gilliam's soldiers fetched us and led us to the gates, where Seth and Gilliam were discussing something. Nearby, Franz and a few of the Frelian soldiers were carefully nudging bodies, checking if they were really dead or not. Tana and Eirika carefully ignored them, though, to go to Seth and Gilliam, and I followed while pulling out the fan and unfurling it again to check the edges once more. I'd get Seth to take a look and-

Movement. Just a quick twitch before one of the 'dead' suddenly shot to their feet with a dagger in hand, rushing straight for Eirika's back. Since I was closest, I intercepted and brought the fan up to block it. The dagger hit with an scratching-clang sound and I felt something _snap_. I heard a snapping sound. The fan tumbled from my suddenly nerveless fingers and when I looked down, I saw my wrist was very bruised, very swollen, and very deformed looking. In fact, I was fairly certain there was something white jutting out of my skin, along with a whole lot of red.

When my slow mind finally connected the dots and informed me that I'd broken my wrist… well, that's when the pain hit. I only didn't scream because I bloodied my lip instead.

"Emma!" Eirika was at my side in an instant, carefully supporting me so that I didn't have to focus so much on standing. Which was good, because I wasn't sure how long I was going to keep upright. Holy _shit_ , broken bones hurt. "We need to get that braced or something," she murmured, pulling me closer so that I leaned more on her. "I'm so sorry…"

"I clearly need more practice using that fan as a shield…" I wheezed, trying to smile or make a joke or something. Anything to be reassuring. But I couldn't think of anything besides 'wow, my bone was outside my skin'. That was definitely not good. "Or just tackle you. Next time, I'm tackling you."

"Please." She outright hugged me, and I hazily processed that Franz had killed the attacker with a lance through the back. "Tana, can you help me?"

Eirika and Tana fussed over me as they got me inside and for a while (well, maybe just a minute but it felt longer), there was a great debate on the best way to set my wrist. But thankfully, there had been a few healers among the other imprisoned Frelians and one was very happy to unbreak my wrist for me. It was still badly bruised and sore, but it was whole and I could move it. That was enough for me, because it meant I could change out of my dirty, bloody clothing on my own and, even more importantly, bathe without help. Which was nice because it was only when I was in the bathroom (and stepping out of my bath) that my stomach found the energy to attempt to turn itself inside out via vomiting.

"Ugh…" I groaned, spitting as I tried to recover. My eyes were streaming tears. My abdomen ached. My nose was terribly stuffy. "I think I'm more of a mess now than I was when I walked in here…" Still, I made myself stand and I turned on the faucet to get water to rinse my mouth and splash my face. I couldn't use my bath water, after all. It was murkier than a swamp with all the reds and browns. In fact, it was why I'd started vomiting. "Okay… clothes… clothes…" I really just wanted to collapse and curl into a ball. But if I did, I knew someone would be in to check on me. So, I made myself get dressed and worked on drying my hair as I left the bathroom. And saw Seth setting something down on the little table in the room the bathroom was connected to. "Huh?"

"Oh, you're out?" he asked, turning to face me. His own hair was wet, hinting he'd just got done washing himself. I saw his arm had a crisp white bandage on it. "Then go ahead and sip on this."

"...Must I…?" The idea of putting something in my stomach made me ache. "I'm not…"

"It's ginger tea, with a little bit of mint." He smiled wanly and, after a moment of hesitating, stroked my hair. It was a bit of an odd feeling as it was rare that he did that. But Orson did it to me often, and I knew that was why Seth had chosen to do so. "Drink it slowly. Your stomach will appreciate it."

"I suppose…" With a sigh, I did pick up the mug and held it with both hands to sip it. My throat stung from the liquid, but it quickly soothed. "Thank you."

"This is the first time we've been able to relax, at all, so I figured now would be where the first kills processed." He studied me while I sipped the tea before pulling the fan from his pocket. "I cleaned this for you. It's got a scratch from the dagger and there's something off with the edges, but nothing a blacksmith can't fix."

"That thing has proved far more helpful than I think either of my parents would be comfortable with." I winced when my wrist ached and I studied the bruising mottling it. Fun mix of blues, blacks, purples, greens, and yellows. "Orson is going to have an ulcer."

"We might need to give him medicine as a preventative before explaining things." He smiled slightly and I had to smile back. The mental image was amusing. "I'd prefer it if you and Princess Eirika weren't involved in any more fighting, but we don't know what the road ahead will bring. I'll help you learn how to shield with it, and improve your lance skills."

"Probably a good idea." Knowing our luck, when we got to Serton, it was going to be under siege and we'd have to fight our way through or something. "Where's Princess Eirika and Princess Tana?"

"Princess Tana is sitting with her soldiers to thank them individually." That was very kind of her. "Princess Eirika is asleep. I left her tea."

"I hope she remembered to dry her hair first." Odds were that she probably didn't, though. Her hair was going to be a nightmare to brush in the morning. "How's Franz?"

"This isn't his first battle, you know." Well, yeah, that was true… but… "He's cooking dinner at the moment. A light soup. You can ask him yourself when it's done."

"I suppose…" Wasn't sure I was up for _food_ -food, but hey, I'd at least try it. "Hey…" I set the mug down and leaned forward to rest my head against his shoulder. "Sorry, just need to lean a bit."

"...You're fine." He awkwardly patted me on the back and I smiled slightly. He'd done the same the very first time I'd hugged him, way back when we met. He still wasn't all that good with physical affection. "We're going to make it."

"I know…" But then came another thought. Once we were in Serton, what was I going to do? I had… no idea.

I'd just… wait until we're there. I didn't want to do anything right now, much less think.

* * *

_Eirika_

_Princess of Renais, the younger of the royal twins. Loves reading and studying, and greatly enjoys learning about other countries and the cultural differences between them. This is part of why she makes such a good diplomat compared to her brother. The other is her kindness_

_Not formally trained at all in weaponry, as it wasn't 'proper' for a noblewoman of Renais, much less a princess. However, she asked her brother, Ephraim, to teach her so that she could defend herself, and she put more effort in the lessons after Emma left her service. Because he was the one who taught her, her style focuses a lot on thrusts._

_A peaceful woman at heart, with so much empathy that many joke that she could empathize with the Demon King himself. This trait of hers, however, can lead to trouble because it means she's easily moved by people's plights. Combined with her stubbornness, it can lead to her hyperfocusing on smaller things._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: There's nothing in-game about Franz once being Seth's squire or anything, but I thought it fit. And yes, while I know that in-game, doing a 'seth-only' run is a very plausible thing (b/c Seth is broken as all hell), Emma certainly doesn't (and isn't very inclined to be hopeful for the time being). 'East Watch' is actually from the game, iirc.
> 
> Next Chapter - Interlude, Serton


	3. Interlude - Serton

Interlude - Serton

* * *

_We made it to Frelia. Nothing about the situation truly feels real, but we made it. Now, of course, we have to make it to the capital, Serton, but that should be the easy part. In theory. Especially since it's no longer just Seth with two girl-shaped pieces of luggage (Eirika and me). There's a fully company of soldiers as well. Company? Was that the word? I always confused what the number difference between things like 'battalion' and 'troop' were. Regardless, more people meant more protection. Again, in theory. We'd have to see in actuality._

_Hard to believe that just a month ago, my biggest 'concern' was whether or not I wanted to bother eating, huh?_

* * *

Something I had always heard from Forde while growing up was that Seth was one hell of a teacher. Effective, but you spent a good chunk of time wondering if you should just jump down into hell itself and fight your way out because that would surely be easier. I'd always thought it was an exaggeration. Three days into the journey from Melgen to Serton, and three days into training with him, told me that if anything, Forde had been understating things. By a lot.

"Seth, mercy, please…" I groaned, even as I tried to block another strike. I nearly got knocked clear off my feet since my arms had all the strength of loose string and my hands only held onto my training lance because they had locked into place and wouldn't respond to my attempts to let go. "Ack!"

"You still need to learn how to firm your stance," he scolded, going after me again with a training sword. This time, I dodged, but tripped and nearly twisted my ankle. My legs did _not_ want to cooperate with me for any action besides collapsing. And they were very unhappy that they couldn't lose my weight. "You can't hope to fight new recruits in _every_ fight, Emma."

"They were new?" My chest ached. My lungs burned. Honestly, I shouldn't be talking given how much of an effort it was to even breathe, but sometimes, I just didn't know when to shut up. "Really?"

"The fact that you could kill them says 'yes'." Okay, he had a point there. He had a huge point there. "We are also far away from the front." Another strike. Another block. Another me almost hitting the ground. "They would want their more experienced elsewhere."

"Doesn't explain the ones with Valter?"

"That is…" Unease flitted across Seth's otherwise stoic expression. But he was still terribly accurate when training. "...Newer recruits are more… expendable."

"Huh?" It took a moment to connect the numerous dots there. One, newer recruits were more expendable because they were more easily replaced. A few months training and bam! you had more. Whereas a vetern had the additional years of experience that would also have to be 'replaced' if they fell. The second point was even more chilling, though. It was that Valter was assigned newer recruits in case his murderous impulses turned on his own. "...I think I really need a break now…" On account of wanting to be sick.

"Three more passes."

"Seth!"

By the time Seth declared that it was time for 'a short break', I was all ready to collapse and not move for the rest of the day. I was barely able to wobble over to the side of the practice area and get myself some water before my legs gave out and I fell into an ungraceful heap. Or whatever the phrase should be. Didn't care, because I was finally sitting and guzzling water, and gods did I ever need both.

"Is there water for me?" Franz groaned, limping over to me. He barely had enough energy to sit properly, but he immediately swayed and rested his head on my shoulder. Normally, I'd tease about him getting sweat on me, but honestly, both of us were drenched. "Ugh… I don't want to get up…"

"Then just have some of mine," I whispered, passing him the waterskin I'd been drinking from. He downed the rest of the water without hesitation, which showed how thirsty he'd been. Last time I'd shared a drink with him, he'd hesitated and blushed a little at the implication of an indirect kiss. I'd found it hilarious, back then. "I take it Gilliam is a harsh teacher as well?"

"Yeah…" He set the waterskin on the ground next to him and nodded to where Seth and Gilliam were now discussing something. Unlike Franz and me, the two looked fresh as daisies. "Still, I'm learning a lot."

"I'd hope we were learning _something_. I'm not exactly in a habit of torturing myself for the fun of it."

Franz grunted something in reply before promptly dozing right on my shoulder. I sighed and brushed his sweat-matted hair out of his face before looking around the bustling camp. It was later in the day, probably an hour or so before sunset, so the soldiers were rushing about making sure everything was secure and safe. And getting dinner ready. And other chores that I knew were important, but that I'd never paid attention to. Half wished that I had, if only to have more appreciation for it. Such things were important, or so Orson was always saying. But I'd always just focused on making sure Eirika was comfortable on the trip. I supposed I should volunteer for at least one of these chores, but… that could wait until my limbs felt like limbs again. Or felt anything at all, actually.

I'd just got a pins and needle tingling at the very tips of my fingers when Gilliam walked over. Of course, it took me a second to recognize him without his ginormous armor on, but that could've also been the exhaustion. "Ah, here you are," he greeted, bowing his head slightly. I simply nodded back, not sure why he'd be speaking to me. "How is your wrist?"

"My wrist?" I asked with a frown, confused. But I held it up, so that he could see how it was a bit bruised and a little swollen, but otherwise, fine. "Why?"

"We're fixing your grip with shields." ...Oh gods, no… And I couldn't even really complain because Seth appeared and dragged Franz away without a single word. I hadn't even realized he'd woken up! ...Though the way Franz stumbled hinted that he might've come to while standing. "Come."

And that was how I spent another eternity of training compressed into some indeterminate amount of time. By holding the fan how Gilliam instructed and having him whack me repeatedly until I felt like a giant bruise with some limbs haphazardly stuck on to flail about in the wind. With a near-permanent ringing in my ears from the number of times his training lance hit the fan. This was why I never learned more than the basics of… anything related to weapons. Too much work, but…

"You're thinking to much," Gilliam scolded when his latest strike nearly sent me off my feet. Which was slightly better than the time before, where the fan went flying and nearly gouged my eye out. "Stop thinking. These movements must become instinctual."

"At the moment, all I'm thinking is that I really should've grabbed some other weapon from the damn wall," I grumbled, shakily pushing my sweaty hair out of my face. Seriously, there had been so many! Collected by my parents… well, no, more like by Mother. Because retired mercenaries collected weapons like temples collected religions iconary. Iconary? No, that wasn't even a word, was it? Iconography? That also didn't seem like a word. Whatever. "So, at least I'm not thinking stances?"

"Ah, good, you've got enough spirit to sass, so we can keep going." Times like this reminded me I should just shut up. "So, let's-"

"That fan really is amazing." The casual comment announced Tana's presence at the training field. The way she was crouched down by the field, elbows on her knees and face propped up with her hands, hinted that she'd been there for a while and I had been too exhausted to notice. "I wonder if our smiths can make one for me?" she mused, eyes sparkling. I was tempted just to _give_ her the one I had, if only to watch her go through this training. "I'd love one."

"Sadly, your highness, our smiths have had no success in making one," Gilliam gently refused, stepping back and relaxing his stance. I nearly keeled over, but just put my hands on my knees to try and catch my breath. And not throw up. "Whatever trick Raustenians use, they guard it as closely as a miser guards their coin and no one else has figured it out. Yet."

"Damn." She sighed gustily and slowly straightened, stretching like a kitty-cat. "Anyway, Gilliam, can you please dismiss Emma for the day?" Oh, gods, yes, please…

"I had planned on a few more drills. Why?"

"Because Eirika's sad, so I thought tea time would help boost her mood a little. And no one's tea is better than Emma's." That was very flattering. Very flattering, actually. I'd actually spent more time learning how to properly brew and serve various teas than I had weaponry. It had seemed more pertinent. "So, pretty please with sugar on top~?" I had no idea where that phrase came from, but it was fairly common in Frelia to use it when you wanted to be cutsey and emphasize how much you wanted something. "Besides, a few more drills and I think Emma is going to stab you." If I had the strength for it, sure. Stab the general (or whatever his rank was) that was escorting us. …Well, I'd done dumber shit in the past, so...

Thankfully, Gilliam relented (with a laugh at that!) and let Tana drag me off to the baths. Because I'd _desperately_ needed one, and a change of clothes, right down to the underwear. Afterwards, though, I followed Tana to the tent she and Eirika were resting in and began carefully brewing and preparing tea, relaxing at the familiar motions. We didn't have a lot of options flavor wise, but chamomile was always a favorite of Eirika's and thankfully, the Frelian soldiers had it in abundance. I added a little of the dried blueberries they also had in stock, just to give the tea a sweeter flavor. Both princesses liked their tea on the sweeter side.

"Ah… seriously, Emma, your tea is the absolute _best_ ~!" Tana sighed happily after taking a long sip of her tea. So long that she nearly drained the mug she was using, and I hastened to refill it for her. I was surprised she hadn't burned her tongue, since the tea was still hot. "So relaxing…" That was probably the chamomile more than my tea, but whatever she wanted to believe. "Anyway, I can't believe Ephraim's not with you. Innes is going to be so sarcastic."

"This is different from usual?" Eirika teased, smiling. The tension in her shoulders slowly eased and she was able to sit straighter, more properly. I could still see the worry in her eyes, though, and in how she held her mug a little too tightly. "It's Innes!"

"We don't want to put more arrows in that particular quiver of his!" Tana laughed, smiling brightly. "Oh, but you won't believe what I saw the other day, Eirika!"

With great enthusiasm, Tana launched into a story I was half-certain was completely made up, but it didn't matter. Not really. After all, it had Eirika grinning and laughing within moments, and I couldn't help but marvel at Tana. After all, here we were, in the middle of dusty nowhere, having tea while there were soldiers rushing about and training and while there was a war going on. Eirika had no idea at all about her father or her brother. Her home had fallen apart around her. And yet, Tana was able to get her to forget that for a time. Even better, she was able to get Eirika to truly enjoy herself, and even coax some gossip out of her, like they were in a sunny parlor in one of the castles. Truly, Tana was a force of wonder and nature and, more importantly, just the kind of friend Eirika needed.

After watching the two chat for a while, I left the two to go have fun and returned to the training grounds to ask Seth how much longer we had until we got to Serton. To my surprise, though, Seth wasn't there. Franz and Gilliam still trained, but Seth was nowhere in sight. Frowning, I asked one of the soldiers and learned he was actually in his tent. Which was odd because I'd never known Seth to go 'take a break' without someone dragging him into it (usually Orson). So, being suspicious, I headed to his tent and poked my head in without 'knocking'. It wasn't as if I hadn't seen him half-dressed in the past anyway; I used to do it on purpose when I had that crush on him. However, there was no admiration of handsome men this time. Not that Seth wasn't handsome, but the gaping, bleeding hole in his arm kind of diminished it a little, as did the copious blood on the bandage he was unraveling.

"Is that still not even closed?" I asked, stepping inside so that I could let the flap close behind me. Seth, for his part, just gave me an exasperated look. "You can't be surprised at me barging in. You've known me for how long now?"

"Longer than I care to admit," he sighed, shaking his head. I rolled my eyes and debated calling him 'old man', but I was distracted by trying to figure out just how long he _had_ known me. We were coming up on… twelve or thirteen years now, give or take. He and Orson met when they were thirteen, and Orson had dragged Seth to Rosewatch during the first set of holidays they'd had. "But no, it hasn't. Gilliam recommended I see someone named 'Moulder' when we arrive at the castle."

"...Are you going to recover?" The question came unbidden. The lack of an answer made my heart ache. "Here, let me bandage it, at least. You're keeping it from Princess Eirika, aren't you?" Of course he was. Eirika felt guilty enough just over how injured he'd been. If she knew just how badly his arm was damaged…

Seth sighed again, but didn't protest as I grabbed his first aid kit and began cleaning and re-bandaging his arm. I was glad he didn't, because I wasn't sure I could retort with the lump growing in my throat. If there was something that really hammered home just how bad everything was… it was seeing the invincible Silver Knight, leader of the Crimson Flame Guard, with an injury so severe it could possibly permanently cripple his ability to fight. And that revelation made me long not just for Orson or Monica… it made me long for my parents. For my cheerful mother who could tease a smile out of the God of Death Himself, or my strong father, who never faltered in giving support…

But the dead couldn't do anything. So, all I had were empty wishes and dread permanently chilling my blood.

* * *

"Oh, look there!" Tana gasped happily, practically bouncing in the saddle. And nearly knocking me _out_ of it because we were riding together. I would've thought she'd ride with a knight if she rode with anyone at all, but… well, Eirika rode with Franz and no one rode with Seth in case we were ambushed. And none of Gilliam's soldiers rode, with some even wary of the horses and giving them very wide berths. "See that tree there, Emma? With the pale blossoms? That's the Morelia!"

"That's the tree that was said to somehow resist the Demon King's corruption, right?" I 'asked', mostly to be polite and make conversation. I knew the story. Tana told it practically every time Eirika visited Frelia. "Due to the blessings of the gods?"

"That's how the story goes!" She giggled and clapped her hands together in utter delight. "But it also marks the official 'border' of Serton! Ah, home sweet home~! These saddles are so not comfortable. I swear my butt when numb ages ago."

"I think these are normal for saddles?"

"Not for pegasi!" She laughed and I just nodded, taking her word for it. It wasn't as if I had experience flying. "But if this _is_ normal, then it's no wonder that knights always ride around like an iron pole strapped to their backs!"

"Like posture lessons?"

"Don't remind me!"

Just as Tana 'predicted', the outer walls of Serton came into view before long and after a series of coded greetings from Gilliam to the gatekeepers, we rode in. Serton was always a bustling city, as one could expect for the capital of a country, and even with war at their borders, the people seemed determined to keep as chipper as ever. They pretended that there weren't more soldiers patrolling the streets with weapons glinting in their hands. They ignored the pegasus knights sweeping through the sky, trailing feathers marking their paths. They smiled and waved in farewell to loved ones, chatted and laughed about gossip, and acted like nothing was wrong. Nothing wrong at all, despite the barricades carefully being prepared and hidden between the creamy-white stones of houses, behind the rich-dark brown of doors, underneath the moss-green decorations. Benches normally filled with various birds picking at crumbs or couples cuddling in the sunshine were being removed for those barricades. Statues of heroes and prominent nobles had ropes and chains carefully wrapped around them, to be used as reinforcement or something should the need arise.

It made me uneasy, both to see the obvious preparations for war and the way the people acted like nothing was wrong. It was like when you read a book, recognized the foreshadowing and the danger looming in the distance, but the characters themselves didn't know yet. But worse, because it was real. This wasn't a story that I could step away from. I couldn't close the book and walk away. I lived it.

"Aw, looks like that new sweet shop is closed for the day," Tana sighed, sulking a little. I barely kept myself from giving her a weird look. "Their cream puffs are simply divine. I thought they might cheer you and Eirika up, Emma. I'll need to see when they're open." She twisted to beam at me, ignoring everything just as her people did. I seriously, _seriously_ , wanted to snap or something. But then decided to not bother. It would've been too much trouble. "Aw, look over there! Those kids playing with the kittens!"

The journey through town continued just like that. With Tana happily pointing out her people's antics. Children rushing about the streets. A dog that stole some sausage from a vendor. Merchants boasting of their wares. People flirting as they waited for a package to be ready. Things like that. The only time those antics 'paused' were when they noticed us riding (or marching) through the street, at which point we were greeted with warm laughter and bright smiles. Smiles Tana easily returned, along with the laughter. She even called some by name, hinting she shared Ephraim's habit of sneaking off into town. It didn't surprise me.

Because of the crowd, and the war preparations, it took a while to actually reach the castle. But that was fine, because it gave the servants more time to prepare things. Though, since King Hayden often had 'visitors' (spies) appearing at odd times, the servants already had an efficient system for dealing with unexpected guests. In what felt like no time at all, we were whisked off the horses and out of the front courtyard and into baths and freshly laundered clothes. My plan had been to just lay down in my room, on the sandalwood-scented sheets (because Frelians used that instead of lavender), but Eirika had quietly asked me to come with her to speak to King Hayden. I wondered why me and not Seth, but that question was quickly answered with a simple 'checking the defenses'. I just hoped he was also seeing that healer… whatever the name was. 'Moldy boulder' came to mind, for some reason. Which was quite the interesting mental image.

"Eirika!" King Hayden looked much the same as he had the last time I'd seen him, except he didn't even both with the pretense of formality when Eirika and I entered his office. Instead, he swept her up in a hug, stroking her hair like he was reassuring himself she really was there. Didn't blame him in the slightest. "Ah, it does my heart good to see you," he murmured, stepping back to study her face. Eirika did her best to smile for him, but anyone who knew her would know it was strained. And King Hayden had known her for a _very_ long time. "There's no need to force yourself, Eirika. I cannot imagine the trials and heartache you have endured to make it here." He glanced behind her to look at me, and smiled, bowing slightly. "You are Eirika's lady in waiting, are you not?"

"I am," I replied, bobbing a little curtsy. It was much easy to say that than to explain I'd left, especially right now. "Feel free to ignore me. I'm just here to give support to Princess Eirika."

"As you always do, but I can't in good faith _ignore_ you. You no doubt played a key role in helping Eirika, after all." That was Seth more than anything, but he could believe whatever he wanted. "Regardless, I'm glad you escaped the castle before it fell. My spies were unable to confirm that."

"We left very quickly, at Seth's insistence," Eirika replied, clasping her hands in front of her. It almost hid how much they shook. "But speaking of the castle, and spies… King Hayden, what word is there on my father and brother?" The way King Hayden hesitated to reply screamed answers I wasn't sure Eirika or I wanted to hear. But Eirika set her jaw stubbornly, prepared to argue if he tried to hide the information from her. "Please, tell me."

"...I am afraid… that Fado…" King Hayden spoke slowly, but even that didn't hide how his voice caught in his throat. He had to look down briefly before returning his gaze to her. "My dear friend didn't survive the castle's fall, Eirika. I'm sorry."

"I… I see…" Eirika tried to keep dignified and calm, but she reeled back from the news anyway. I caught her by the shoulders and supported her, remembering well how much pain came from this sort of news. Far too well. "And my brother? My twin? Is there…?"

"Thankfully, there is more hopeful news related to him." King Hayden coughed to clear his throat and hunted through the papers on his desk to hide the tears that had slowly gathered in his eyes. I remembered hearing that King Hayden, King Fado, and Emperor Vigarde had all been childhood friends. I couldn't imagine the pain he had to feel, to hear that one friend had killed the other. "According to our reports, he met with soldiers who survived the initial assault on the border and is now harrying Grado's lines at every turn." And for what reason? Renais was gone, and the castle had fallen. If he wanted to 'protect the people', he shouldn't be on the front lines, damn it! He should be helping people escape! Gods knew how chaotic things had to be! And with someone like Valter flying about… "Sadly, I do not know if he is unharmed or not. I only know he was last seen on the border, heading towards Renvall. My pegasus knights brought back that bit of information at great cost…" He sighed, shaking his head. But smiling slightly, and gods, that made my blood boil. "What a valiant youth, fighting on even now."

"I see." Eirika quickly reached up and pinched my hand in quiet warning, no doubt guessing where my thoughts were heading. I held my tongue for her sake, but I was sorely tempted to scream. There was nothing _valiant_ about this! He was off fighting, worrying his family, worrying the families of those under his command, and for what? A broken and ruined land whose people were scattered to the four winds! Assuming they hadn't been slaughtered by soldiers like Grandpapa James, or became victims of bandits! I couldn't see how fighting on the border was doing _anything_ but glutting the earth with more blood! And the families of the pegasus knights who gave their lives to get even this little bit of information out… they must be in utter agony…! "King Hayden, may I request something?"

"You may request anything, Eirika." King Hayden's expression softened. "You have been through so much. I hope you will be able to rest, and tend to your spirit here."

"Well, while I do intend to rest, I also intend to go after my brother." ...Oh, gods, here we go. Another one of her ideas. "He fights even now, and so, I cannot simply rest while he is in danger."

"...Eirika, I cannot allow that!" King Hayden shook his head abruptly. "I daresay Fado's ghost would haunt me if I let any harm befall you. Leave the war to the warriors, Eirika. If you must help, there are other ways to do so."

"And I will consider them _after_ I return with Ephraim." She set her jaw stubbornly again, and I removed a hand from her shoulder to pinch the bridge of my nose. I felt a headache coming on. "But I will leave."

"I have not a single brigade to spare, even as a token escort." King Hayden's words slowly hardened, trying to becoming an unscalable wall to block this idiocy. His posture also straightened, to reinforce that 'wall'. "Innes has taken all we have and more to the southern border to meet Grado's forces. And Renais's army is destroyed."

"Oh, but I have a Seth, if you'll recall!" Eirika smiled brightly and I nearly groaned because _Seth was injured_. But she didn't know that. "Joking aside, I'm well aware of the lack of forces. But even so, I will leave. With apologies."

King Hayden was silent for a long, long moment before sighing, deflating and shaking his head. "...You certainly inherited Esther's stubbornness. Even if I locked you up somewhere, you'd find some way to escape anyway." Especially since Franz could pick locks. "Please at least rest a couple days. I will see if there is _anyone_ I can spare. At least a healer, just in case. And some supplies."

"Thank you, King Hayden." Eirika kept up the smile, perfectly pleased. King Hayden just sighed again and waved her off in a quiet dismissal. "I shall see you later this evening." She curtseyed, and I quickly followed suit before following her out the door. And as soon as the door shut behind us, she slumped and swayed a little. "Oh, goodness, I didn't think he'd agree and I'd have to think of how Ephraim snuck out." She leaned against me, and I stepped a little closer to better support her. "But that worked out!"

"You know going off into enemy lines kind of defeats the purpose of escaping to Frelia in the first place, right?" I asked dryly, helping her down the hall. Maids rushed past us with barely a nod of acknowledgement, focused on their tasks. "Some days, Eirika, I swear…"

"But you understand, right?" she asked. Well, 'asked'. Because she knew the answer.

"Of course I do." Gods, did I ever. "And it's because I understand that I'm coming with you." It wasn't until I said the words that I had realized I'd even made that decision. But they came out quick and easily. More easily than anything I'd said since Monica's death.

"You will?" Her face lit up with a relieved smile. "Truly?"

"Of course. Not only will you be in danger, but Orson is with him, and I'm not sure we want to inflict a fretful me on the nice servants here." I smiled slightly when Eirika thought that over for a moment and playfully shuddered at the mental image. "Besides, you said it yourself. You might be overcome with relief to give Prince Ephraim the scolding he needs, but I assure you that I shall have no such qualms."

"Uh oh." She laughed, though it was subdued. Her father's death… it had to hit her hard, even if she was making efforts to not focus on it. "That should be a thing to see, though."

"I'll spend the journey crafting it. I'm most vexed with the pain he's inflicted on you, and the worry he has forced both Seth and Franz to endure. Most. Vexed." I studied her for a moment, and paid attention to how much she leaned against me. She definitely… "Princess Eirika?"

"Yes?"

"How about you stay in my room for the night." I did my best to smile for her, but I knew it wavered. I was tired, and now all the more tired because of the added weight on my heart. King Fado… he was… "You shouldn't be alone tonight."

"...Thank you…" She ducked her head to hide her expression, but I knew how grateful she was by how she clung to my hand. "I think I will."

* * *

Tana woke us up the next morning, by bursting into the room I was using with a change of clothes for us both. I didn't bother asking how she knew Eirika was with me, because the answer would probably be a combination of 'instincts' and 'servants'. Instead, I got dressed and left to fetch breakfast while Tana scolded Eirika for rushing off into danger and pleading for her to stay where things were relatively safe. I knew Tana's words would have no effect, though. Seth had tried the same thing last night, alongside a few 'polite and respectful' choice words for the sheer idiocy of the decision, but ultimately he'd yielded and told her to leave the preparations to him. Was a bit curious as to Franz's thoughts on the matter, but not to the point that I'd deviate from my current task to try and find him. Maybe later. When I was a little more awake.

"At least the cooks are still as nice as ever," I murmured to myself as I walked back down the hall, carrying a tray that was almost too heavy with all the breakfast treats. One of the maids had offered to carry it instead, but I'd refused. I could see how busy they were, rushing about to take care of the new recruits who had arrived. And if I had doubts about that, I needed to only glance out the window to see the long lines in the courtyard of people my age and younger, signing up to become soldiers. Armies required more than just people and weapons, after all. They required food, for one thing, and if you didn't keep their areas tidy, you'd just have a nightmare of issues. "I hope there's no epidemics…" Ah, but that wasn't any of my business. Thinking too far ahead was far too tiring, especially right now…

So, instead, I just tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and to not drop anything or get in anyone's way. This did result in me having to take a few detours, but I didn't mind. At least, I didn't mind until I found myself near the inner gardens. Why? Well, normally, they'd be empty at this hour, but not today. No, today, two people were using that 'normality' to have a private conversation.

"What is King Hayden hiding about King Fado's death, Syrene?" And, of course, of all the conversations I had to eavesdrop on, it just _had_ to be Seth and Syrene being serious. Why couldn't it have been whispers of sweet nothings and flirting? That at least would've been funny. "I know there is something," Seth continued quietly, unaware that anyone was near. And I couldn't walk past without being spotted, damn it all. And I couldn't go _back_ without being in the way, so I was stuck standing awkwardly at the corner beside the entrance. Eavesdropping. "After all, he refuses even my direct questions."

"You know… that's actually a good lead in to something I wanted to ask you," Syrene murmured, tapping her cheek thoughtfully. I'd always thought Syrene beautiful, though I didn't know her well at all. But I'd seen her many times as she was the Captain of the Argent Wings, and often worked together with Seth and Orson to handle security when the Renaisi royals visited Frelia (or the Frelians visited Renais). "It's a pretty broad question, so don't feel bad if there's not an answer?"

"This is going to be delightful, isn't it?" Seth's words dripped with sarcasm, which only really happened when he was exhausted. I wondered how long he'd already been awake. Had he slept at all? And I wondered if he'd had the time to get his wound checked… "Please be blunt about it."

"Good, because there's no sugar-coating this. Then again, battles are never sweet." Still, Syrene's expression grew both grim and sad, and she fussed with her hair as if she had to draw courage up to say the words. "What King Hayden is hiding… is that King Fado did not die a quick death on the battlefield, Seth. He was mercy-killed by Prince Lyon after hours of torture."

The world tilted for a second, and it took me a full heartbeat to realize it was because my knees gave out. I threw myself back against the wall, hard enough to clonk my head, and I had to hastily fix my grip on the tray because my nerveless fingers had all the grace of boulders for the moment. It all likely made a racket, but I couldn't hear it due to the roaring in my ears. I thought of shouting something, but instead, my jaw was clenched shut, as tightly closed as my throat. It felt like ages before I could even think to see if Seth and Syrene had noticed anything. But, based on Seth's reply… either he had also spent 'ages' recovering from the news, or it hadn't been that long at all.

"So, that's it…" Seth breathed, closing his eyes. Most would probably think him unaffected, but I could see how rigidly he stood, and the way his hands shook as he crossed his arms, nails digging into the skin. Blood bloomed on one of his sleeves, showing he'd reopened his wound again. But he didn't even wince. "So, your question is…?"

"Well, the assumption we're currently running with is that they were torturing for information, as if that ever actually works," Syrene sighed, running a hand through her hair. Though her words were even, I saw her knuckles had turned white due to how tightly she gripped the strands. "So, what could they have been after?"

"Sadly, the answer to that could be any thousands of things, and maybe even more that I know nothing about." Seth's eyes were hard when he opened them, but he looked to the ground to make sure he didn't glare at Syrene. "Military secrets? Location of the prince and princess? I'd need more information to answer that."

"I figured. I was just curious if something had come up recently."

"No…" Seth trailed off, frowning as he thought. And I might've imagined it, but I thought his eyes widened slightly, but the expression disappeared too quickly to be sure. "Nothing for now, at least."

"I'll see if our spies can get a bit more information. If we can figure out what they were trying to learn, then maybe we can figure out why the hell the Emperor did something so…" She visibly groped for a word before throwing her hands up in the air. "Can't think of a word that isn't something that would make a sailor blush."

"You say that like I'm not used to your cursing."

"Unfortunately, Princess Tana likes mimicking me. Including my speech patterns. Let me tell you; I got an earful when King Hayden heard some of the words she unintentionally learned from me." Syrene grinned and the mood of the garden lightened considerably. "Anyway, you're bleeding. I'm walking you to the infirmary."

"I am?" Seth glanced down in surprise and held up his arm in confusion as the crimson blood slowly seeped through the sleeve. "...When did that happen?"

"Shortly after you went numb from emotional pain, Silver Flame Man."

"The worst part is that 'nickname' of yours is infinitely more tolerable than those damn songs they made of my idiocy." Seth groaned just at the thought and Syrene laughed. "Well, you know about the troubles of bards."

"So much fun to have your teenaged antics immortalized, right?"

Seth actually chuckled and the two quietly ranted on bards and how bardic immunity shouldn't be a thing as they slowly left. I waited until I was certain they were gone before finally resuming my walk to my room, where Eirika and Tana hopefully still were laughing and chatting. But I only made it a handful of steps before my knees wobbled and I had to duck into a random room just on the other side of the gardens and set the tray down to keep from dropping it. And I just barely missed cracking my head on the table as my legs gave out entirely and I had to hug myself to try and ease my shaking. But it didn't work. I just shook uncontrollably, as I thought of what I'd overheard. King Fado… not only dead, but he'd been tortured. He had to be mercy-killed. By Prince Lyon. That was just… it didn't…

I squeezed my eyes shut to stem back the burning I felt thinking of how much pain he had to have been in during his last breaths. But unfortunately, that just made it all the easier to remember… Remember when I first met King Fado as a young child and how he had smiled shyly at me when I peeked out from Dad's arms. Remember how he had knelt and apologized to me at Dad's funeral, and nearly cried when I patted him on the head and smiled. Remember his pleased smile when Orson first joined the knights, and how he had reassured Mom when she fretted over it. Remember how he had held my hand during Mom's funeral, because I had desperately needed that comfort. Remember how proudly he had smiled when Orson and Seth took their oaths. Remember how he had asked me, personally, to protect Eirika as her lady-in-waiting. Remember how he had stroked my hair as I broke down after Monica's diagnosis. Remember how understanding and kind he had been after her death and I cowardly left...

Why was all of this happening? I wondered if there even _was_ an answer. But if there was, I certainly didn't have it. And no matter how much I wanted to curl up and not move, Eirika and Tana had waited long enough. So, I took a deep breath to try and steady myself before standing, picking up the tray, and heading to the room. And if Eirika asked why it had taken me so long, I would simply tell her that I felt unsteady. It was the truth, after all.

* * *

_Seth_

_Captain of the Crimson Flame Guard and known across the continent as the Silver Knight, he is the son of a duchess and a Jehannan mercenary. Most of his early years were spent in relative isolation, since few among the noble children wanted to associate with someone who was half-Jehannan. Orson was his first friend, and remains his best._

_Always had a natural talent for battle, and he was trained much earlier than most due to his father's influence. His tendency to practice to alleviate frustration and loneliness also led to extra practice, a habit he continued even after he made friends. As a result, he's famous for his incredible skill in battle, with many claiming that he could fight an army on his own._

_He was quite hotblooded when he was younger, and often wandered around looking for trouble whenever he wasn't needed in the capital. To his grief, quite a few were romanticized as songs, and he always avoids gatherings among the knights because one of them inevitably starts singing one, typically once they're too drunk to even think about staying in tune._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: And so the plot for part one gets rolling! Ftr, a 'battalion' typical numbers between… like… 300-800, while a 'troop' is 15-45 or something like that. The 'Morrelia' doesn't exist in game or anything. I just randomly made it up for the hell of it.
> 
> Next Chapter - The Protected


	4. Chapter 2) The Protected

Chapter 2) The Protected

* * *

_Instead of resting in Frelia and finding some way to help the war effort there, Eirika decided to instead search directly for her missing twin. Just another reason for me to be irritated with him, I suppose. Though I could admit this was also Eirika's emotions getting the best of her again. I understood, though. Waiting until you heard word of your family, not knowing if it would be good news or bad… that wasn't easy. It was less easy when your heart was already cracked and bleeding._

_Thus, we march, leaving the relative safety of Serton. Seth has determined the best path would be to head towards Serafew. From there, we would sneak into Grado itself and track down potential leads for Ephraim, Orson, Forde, and Kyle. And hopefully not get caught. Somehow._

_I'm beginning to understand why Dad always carried herbs that induced stomach troubles when traveling with King Fado._

* * *

"Princess Eirika, you should have gotten me," I chided, carefully sectioning out her hair to brush. It was difficult, because it was terribly tangled. "When it's this bad, it's better to have someone help you." It didn't help that Eirika's hair always tangled easily. It honestly seemed like a simple breeze tangled her hair into matts.

"I didn't think it was that bad…" Eirika mumbled, sheepish. Still, she giggled, amused. "If not for our surroundings, I'd think we were back at the castle."

"It pains me that you still have such bad habits after four years worth of scolding." Finally finished sectioning, I began brushing her hair slowly. Eirika also had a tender scalp that didn't take well to excessive yanking. Well, less than scalps usually do. "Should we review the etiquette books your tutors foisted on you?"

"Foisted, huh? That's a fun word." Eirika laughed, and I was glad to hear it. The whole reason her hair was so tangled was because she had been tossing and turning throughout the night. I knew because she had accidentally hit me a few times. "I want to help around the camp next time we set up. I know Seth said that I didn't need to, but…"

"First thing we have to do is get your hair in order."

"Right…"

As gently as I could, I brushed Eirika's hair, letting the sounds of everyone else wash over me. Cooking, cleaning up, rolling up the tents… that sort of thing. Things Eirika and I really should help with, but didn't. Seth insisted on it. It wasn't 'proper' for Eirika, and he mentioned something about Orson killing him if he let me. I planned on ignoring him, but the past few mornings on the road had been rough for both Eirika and me. I kept dreaming of Grandpapa James and his death, of Rosewatch burning, of Valter. I didn't know if it was better or worse than the dreams I had before, about Monica's death. But they did make it hard to actually get some rest. Eirika had the same problem, more or less, though I didn't know what haunted her nightmares. I didn't ask. Instead, I simply… did what I could. Hold her hand and help her take care of herself. She didn't really want the others to know just how badly off she as. Particularly the three 'new additions' to the group, three soldiers King Hayden had asked to accompany us and who had agreed.

Gilliam joined us officially. I wasn't sure who led the East Watch in his place. I assumed there was some sort of chain of command, since you never knew when someone would keel over and die. Still, I was surprised. Gilliam was clearly a veteran, and more importantly, he was a leader. So, why he had agreed… I had no idea. It made no sense to me.

Vanessa was more like what I expected when King Hayden told us he could spare a couple of soldiers to help us. While not a fresh recruit, she was still new, having served for a couple of years. She was a serious, almost dour, sort of person. Terribly sincere and dutiful, like she didn't know how to relax. I'd been surprised when I learned she was Syrene's sister, though I could easily see the family resemblance. She didn't share her sister's ability to chat with strangers, though, as she was almost painfully quiet.

Moulder, the last of the Frelian trio, had perhaps been the most surprising addition. A healer who had served the royal family for almost all of his life, he was patient and dutiful. Perhaps too dutiful, since he'd nearly missed a couple of meals because he'd been working on something and lost track of the time. Still, a healer traveling with a motley group? I would've thought King Hayden would keep every healer he had close. So, why was he here? Why had Moulder agreed? Like Gilliam, I couldn't make much sense of it.

"Say, Emma?" Eirika quietly began, drawing me from my thoughts. Noticing that I was over-brushing her hair, I set down the brush and began braiding her hair back for the day's travel. "Has Seth recovered?"

"Pardon?" I asked, startled. I looked up to see where Seth was helping Franz with the tents, looking for any sign that he was in pain. But I saw nothing. "Why do you ask?"

"It's more of a feeing, but…" She frowned, clearly thinking. I shifted to tuck my legs under me and keep braiding her hair. "Just sometimes, I swear it looks more like he's enduring something? I don't know. I could be wrong."

"I see." Well, this was awkward. I knew from eavesdropping that Seth's injury could at least still be reopened. I had no idea how bad it was still, but… "Even if he hasn't recovered, do you truly think he'd actually tell either of us?"

"No, he wouldn't." Eirika tilted her head back to look at me, a distinct glint in her eyes. "You would find out anyway, though. You have no qualms being nosy."

"One of my duties is to gather information for you." I barely noticed the use of present tense in the sentence, until Eirika smiled faintly. I chose to ignore it. "Let me guess. You want me to find out."

"Please?"

"Oh, very well." Sorry, Seth… but my promise to never lie to Eirika took precedence. "I'll see what I can learn." I suppose I could at least work with him to figure out what he was willing to let her know, though. That seemed like a good compromise.

"Thank you!" She let me move her head back forward so that I could continue braiding. "I know he simply doesn't want me to worry, but I can't be sheltered. Not anymore."

"I remember Mom once say that innocence was the first casualty of battle." I tightened her braid a little before tying it off. "Truth is the second."

"Truth, huh? I suppose so, based on the history lessons we had..."

"Yes, I have no doubts Grado is vilifying Renais to the populace to help justify the attack."

"Not only that, but it would make it easier to recruit new soldiers for them to send out to slaughter." Her fists clenched in her lap, tight enough that the charms on Grandpapa James's bracelet trembled. "I wish there was a way we could end this with words and words alone. No bloodshed. But that won't happen, will it?"

"Sadly, I don't think there is any chance until we learn why." I moved in front of her and brushed her bangs back, before arranging the strands that fell by her face. Habit. "But, perhaps one day, it will."

"...If I could just talk to Lyon, then I know…" She sighed. "Though, he does adore his father so. This must be killing his heart…"

"Perhaps a confession from a certain lovely princess would help mend it."

"Perha… EMMA!" Eirika immediately flushed and flailed. I dodged and tied off her braid with practiced ease. It wasn't the first time I had teased her while doing her hair, after all. "I can't believe you…!"

"Is everything okay?" With the most perfect timing, Franz walked over to us, visibly confused and worried. Eirika quickly did her best to appear poised and proper. I had to duck my head to hide my smile. "I thought I heard you yell," he continued, frowning. With his earnest eyes, he almost looked like a puppy. "Is there something I can help with?"

"Oh, no, I assure you that all is well," Eirika immediately replied with a bright smile. It was her 'I am at a public function' smile, one practically tailored made to look genuine and hide whatever thoughts she had. "Emma is simply being incorrigible, as usual."

"Oh, so she's teasing you relentlessly? Forde said Sir Alex often did the same for…" Franz trailed off, wincing. By now, everyone knew King Fado was dead. No one talked about it, but everyone knew. "Princess Eirika, I'm sorry for your loss." He bowed deeply. "I could speak of his virtues, but you would know them just as well, or better, than me."

"...Thank you, Franz…" Eirika's smile faltered briefly, but she had it back in place when Franz straightened. "I appreciate your sympathy…"

"I fear I can only imagine what you're going through. My father died when I was still young, after all." That was true. Both Franz and Forde had been young when they became orphans. I believe they were raised by a relative of their mom after Felix died, though when Forde enlisted as a squire, Franz had come with him to live in the castle. So, I didn't think they had been particularly close to said relative. "Still, it is a pain that lingers. I hope you give yourself the time you need."

"Is there time?"

"There always is." Franz said the words simply, but the earnestness in his expression gave them weight. "It's not selfish to mourn. In fact, I think it is selfish to push off mourning. It is saying that your grief does not matter, despite what those around you may think." He smiled warmly, though he hastened to bow. Again. I almost thought he'd slammed his nose against his knees with how quickly he'd bowed. "Pardon my rudeness, of course. I shouldn't… um…"

"Thank you, Franz…" Eirika smiled softly, though it was also worn and sad. "Truthfully, it doesn't quite feel 'real' yet. It's like a nightmare, except I know it has to be real because I could never imagine something so horrible. That dissonance is…"

"Of course, Princess Eirika." Franz straightened, still smiling. "Just… please remember that we are all here for you. I know it's not my place, but you always seemed lonely after Em… er…" He coughed, flushing pink. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say and it made my heart ache. I knew it had been selfish, but to hear that… "A-anyway, that's all. I apologize for disrupting you."

"You didn't." Eirika muffled a laugh. It was one of her polite ones, more for reassuring the listener than due to true joy or amusement. "If anything, you kept Emma from teasing me more."

"Well, that's just dreadful. I should return to General Seth so that she has the time." With a distinctly mischievous grin, he bowed once more and ducked back to the other side of the camp's remains. Almost everything was packed. It was almost time to leave...

"Hey, Emma?" Eirika whispered, gently taking my sleeve. She didn't continue immediately, so I just waited for her. "How long did it take you to accept your parents' deaths?"

"Their deaths?" I repeated, surprised. Of all the things I expected, that hadn't been one.

"Yes…" She smiled wanly at me. "I know that's rude, so don't force yourself to answer, but…"

"Perhaps it's the Jehannan blood in me, but I accepted both pretty quickly. Mom didn't dance around the subject when Dad died, and neither had ever hid that dying in the line of duty was always a risk of being a knight." Plus, there was _how_ Dad had died. He had died protecting King Fado, Ephraim, and Eirika. Even when I was small, I had understood that they were something he'd been willing to risk, and lose, his life for. It hurt, of course. It still did. I missed him terribly. But I had understood and accepted what had happened. "Mom's death had been a little harder, but it hadn't taken me long. It took Monica and Orson longer, actually." But when Mom left to help, I had known there was a risk. Mom had decided that risk was worth it, and I had understood. "In both cases, though, I had a body to look at, so perhaps that helped."

"That is true. Perhaps when I see…" Her voice cracked, and she coughed to try and clear her throat. "Perhaps it will feel real then. Just another reason to reclaim Renais, then. A selfish reason, of course, but…"

"I believe I have said this to you before, but what's wrong with you being selfish? You just have to balance it out." Unlike a certain crown prince. Ugh… the reminder just rankled me! So many times Eirika had felt she couldn't do something selfish because she had to 'balance' Ephraim…!

"You're thinking of Ephraim, aren't you?" She smiled teasingly and actually laughed when I looked at her askance. "You're grumbling under your breath and your eyes are sparking."

"...Perhaps." I wasn't going to admit to that right now. Her triumphant grin showed that I didn't need to anyway. "Regardless, I agree with Franz. You are not being selfish for taking the time to mourn. But I will add to with this. I do not think you are being a 'bad daughter' or anything for taking your time with mourning either."

"Emma…" Eirika's eyes widened; I'd hit a nerve. I figured I might. "...Thank you…" She smiled sadly and rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm tired."

"We've some time before we leave. Why not nap a little?" I took her hand and rested my cheek against her hair. "I'll wake you when it's time."

"Thank you."

"Of course."

* * *

It took a couple of days to wear Seth down, but he eventually relented and let Eirika and I help out with the camp chores. Granted, there wasn't a lot we could do. Neither of us had been particularly outdoorsy. But I could do laundry and I could cook, and it quickly became clear that… uh… I was somehow the best cook of the group. I blamed/thanked Monica for that little fact, particularly since it let me get out of some of the grimier chores, which suited me well. Eirika mostly just assisted whoever, to learn as they worked, which suited _her_ just fine. And it was amusing to see her eagerly listening and learning. Like we were back at the castle and she was learning about history or folklore...

Though, at the moment, Eirika was listening to Franz as she rode on his horse and he led it. Eirika had wanted to walk just like the rest of us, but when I discovered her feet were more blisters than skin, I forced her to rest. Even though King Hayden had provided us with clothes and shoes that fit, she _had_ hiked quite a distance in Monica's poorly fitting shoes. It was no wonder her feet were swollen. Of course, Eirika had tried to protest, or at least get me to ride as well (since it wasn't as if I was used to hiking), but I'd managed to get out of it. It wasn't as if we had unlimited mounts or anything. Other than Franz's horse, we had Seth's Tyr and Vanessa's pegasus. But Vanessa regularly scouted, and Seth's horse was truthfully still recovering from the mad dash from Ivroria. I refused to burden either.

As for the horse we had taken from Mulan… well, it had been 'conscripted' for the army. I didn't mind, but it was a terrible reminder that literally every resource Frelia had was being diverted to the war effort in the south. I felt guilty for taking even the three people who came with us. Particularly Moulder. I knew just enough of battle to know you needed every healer you could get, and Moulder was apparently a _senior_ healer at that. With all the experience and knowledge that entailed. Yet, here he was, helping to make our goal to reach Ephraim just a little less suicidal instead of helping keep soldiers' insides where they were supposed to be. How many would die because he wasn't there to help? How many would die because Ephraim ran off, and I didn't convince Eirika to not be so foolhardy? Yes, of course, I _understood_ , but I should've at least tried to stop her. The point of being loyal and honest was to keep someone from doing stupid shit, yet…

"Emma, how are you doing?" Moulder suddenly asked, falling in step with me. It took me a couple of blinks to realize he was there. I was near the back of our group, and he'd been closer to the front with Gilliam. "Yesterday, both Seth and Gilliam seemed intent on training you past your limits. Are you suffering from any aches?"

"I'm fine," I replied automatically. It was a lie, of course. I ached _terribly_ , but I didn't really want to deal with it. So, I pretended otherwise. Besides, I barely knew Moulder. I didn't mind lying to strangers. "All my limbs are attached and aren't screaming at me."

"I see." He had a knowing look in his eyes, like he knew I was lying. Then again, he'd probably dealt with the aftermath of Gilliam's training many times. "When we rest for the day, there are some stretches I'd like you to do. To ensure that your muscles stay healthy."

"Of course." No point in pretending otherwise. I'd lie to a healer about how I was doing, but I wasn't stupid enough to disobey a healer's 'suggestions'. Monica would pinch my cheek each time I tried when I was little, a habit she had picked up from Mom. "Thank you for your consideration." Because you always had to thank a healer. That was something Mom _enforced_ , and Monica continued.

"Oh, there's very selfish reasons for checking on you." Moulder chuckled, amused about something. "If you are injured, you cannot cook us another delightful lunch."

"That was nothing, really." It was just… one of the recipes Monica had taught me. While Emilia taught me baking, and the castle cooks had given me lessons, Monica had always been my primary teacher with… almost everything. "I'm glad you liked."

"Few things soothe a weary soul better than a home-cooked meal." That was true. I thought longingly of the fruit omelets Monica would make to cheer up Orson or me… "Ah, but I see Vanessa has snuck off again for more scouting." He pointed up to where Vanessa was flying off. Even though I was reasonably certain she'd only just returned. "She works too hard, sometimes."

"Well, we are a small group." There were… how many of us? Seven?

"If he could've, King Hayden would've given so many more soldiers." Moulder sighed, shaking his head in regret. "It pains him that Princess Eirika does something so reckless, but it is impossible to ask someone to simply wait and see if their last family member returns from fighting."

"Yet that is a scenario many are facing now. Many in Renais have already accepted the horrible truth." Not to mention the knights who died bringing back the scant snippet of information we had on Ephraim's whereabouts. Their families must be… "You should instead say that it is impossible to ask Princess Eirika. She is as stubborn as a mule and can hyperfocus on short-term things."

"Quite the scathing critique."

"If you believe that is 'scathing', then I dread what you would call the critiques I have of Prince Ephraim." Oh, the words I would have…! After confirming Orson and Forde were fine. And Kyle as well. I didn't know Kyle as well as I did the other two, but I was still annoyed. "I should have tried harder to convince Princess Eirika to not be so foolish, shouldn't I?"

"I do not necessarily think this is a _foolish_ endeavor. Risky, to be certain, but not foolish." He closed his eyes, thinking his words over carefully. I tried to not scoff from how ridiculous that sounded. We were sneaking through a war-torn… no, a war-destroyed country in order to head behind enemy lines to search for a single prince and his knights. What else could this be but foolish? "Gilliam mentioned you had some knowledge of tactics?"

"He is _much_ too kind. My brother-in-law is Orson-"

"Ah, the Knight of Thorns, yes?"

"Yes, that's right." That epithet had always amused me, mostly because it irritated Orson so much. The main reason he had it was because of the poisoned daggers he wore, which were much less effective if people _knew_ about them. Monica had once teased that he should've shown another trait more, like Dad who had also used poisoned daggers but was associated far more with honesty… "I used to skim through his books, and I read a little in case I had to help Princess Eirika defend the castle while King Fado and Prince Ephraim were away, but it is the basics at the most."

"Still, that is _some_ knowledge." He chuckled, amused about something. I simply let him have the point. "Regardless, you are aware of how important morale is for troops, yes?"

"I know that it _is_ important." Motivation was key to practically anything you did. If you weren't motivated, then you were unable to perform as well as you could. Morale and motivation went hand in hand. That was about the extent of my knowledge. "Why?"

"Well, Prince Ephraim's skill in battle and tactics are very well known. The Knight of Thorns is as famous as the Silver Knight and just as skilled." Orson would always protest that. He said Seth was more skilled and was very proud of his friend for that. Seth would always shrug and say he'd be dead ten times over if not for Orson's common sense, so it didn't matter who was more skilled because skill wasn't everything. "From my understanding, his other two personal knights are also well known for their skill, correct?"

"Forde and Kyle? Yes, they're both quite skilled." They had been Ephraim's personal bodyguards since they were all young, and both Seth and Orson had trained them _extensively_ for the job. Especially Orson, since he had guarded Ephraim for most of his career as a squire and knight. "Are you saying that having them would bolster morale?"

"Whatever rumors there are of Prince Ephraim, and there are many, none can deny his skill and his ability to rally even the most tired of fighters to victory."

"Is that so?" I did vaguely recall Orson praising Ephraim for helping to deal with bandits a few times. I had always snapped that he'd done it for glory, irritated because he'd always leave without warning and put Eirika in awkward situations. "So, you don't think it's foolish because if we succeed, we will bring back four skilled fighters?"

"Including one with copious experience." Well, that was true. Orson did know a lot about fighting. He had traveled with Seth a lot during Seth's hotheaded days. I still remembered Seth awkwardly apologizing for that, and Monica giving them both a third-degree lecture for such recklessness each time they returned. "Not to mention any information we gather, and any soldiers we manage to pick up." Moulder stroked his mustache, chuckling. "Not to mention the songs that will be crafted of the delicate princess skirting past Grado's forces to rescue her brother from behind enemy lines…"

"...So, letting Princess Eirika have her way is, essentially, King Hayden being very crafty at great risk?" I wasn't sure how much I liked that.

"And great heartache." That didn't make it much better. "I suppose we should be grateful that you do not do as your father did to keep her from rushing off."

"My dad?"

"Your father was Sir Alex, yes? Sir Seth mentioned it." Moulder smiled warmly. "I have served the royal family for quite some time, and since King Hayden and King Fado were childhood friends, I had the honor of meeting Sir Alex a few times."

"Oh, that makes sense." More than just 'made sense'. Dad had been King Fado's personal knight since they were both young, and was most often the one who traveled with him to visit other countries. "Let me guess. He poisoned King Fado with herbs that led to his stomach protested. Vehemently."

"Precisely." Moulder actually laughed, though he was quick to muffle it. "I was _aghast_ when I learned about it." Most were, from my understanding. Then, to their own surprise, they grew used to it. "Sir Alex shrugged it off and said that a knight's duty involved making sure his chosen lord didn't do something criminally stupid."

"That sounds like Dad." My vague memories of him, at least. And the stories I had heard. "I don't carry such herbs on hand as he did, though. I would have to forage for some."

"That was going to be my next question. I needed to know if I had to prepare for such an eventuality or not."

"Not right now." Maybe if we found Ephraim alive and well. Surely a few of them grew around the border. "I prefer to use my herbal knowledge to assist in what teas to brew."

"So, you know herbal remedies?"

"Orson taught me some, yes. I am, by no means, an expert. But he learned from Dad."

Moulder and I continued to talk quietly, which more turned into him giving me lessons on the different ways herbs could be used, and which ones were particularly beneficial in teas. I listened as best as I could, already knowing I'd need at least one repeat of the information before I had any idea what he was talking about. At some point, Vanessa returned, far earlier than expected, her serious expression noticeably more drawn and grim. It didn't take long for her to relay why, but I didn't comprehend what it was until she led us to what she'd seen. It was a village. Or, rather, the charred and broken remains of a village. Complete with the rotting, bloated corpses of its former residents.

I supposed Rosewatch looked like this now. Well, with a few less bodies strewn about. That day, only Grandpapa James had died, and we had buried him in the middle of nowhere. I wondered if… if we'd ever be able to find his grave after all of this. Or if he'd just be lost forever…

I barely noticed I had started walking until I was right next to one of the burnt husks that had once been a home. After a moment of staring, I brushed my hands against my skirt and pulled one charcoaled support beam off of a body so that I could pick them up. A child, based on the size. Hard to tell the age, due to how burnt the body was. And due to rot. And due to where carrion eaters had picked away at the remains, and dug about for the bone and bone marrow. But they'd definitely been a child. Someone who should've been sheltered and protected from all things evil in the world. Except now, they were a corpse, a victim of war despite never once raising a weapon.

I felt numb as I carried the body to an open space to lay down. Numb and dissociated from everything as I meandered to other ruined buildings to pull out bodies and lay them out in the open to be buried. Did we have the time? Probably not. Actually, I was certain we didn't. But when I got the third body, Eirika was right next to me, pulling out a fourth. Gilliam and Seth hunted for tools to use for digging, something to make the graves easier to make. Moulder began praying over the dead, giving them as much of a 'proper' funeral as he could. I didn't see Vanessa or Franz at first, but a feather fell from the sky, hinting Vanessa was patrolling to make sure we had the time. And when I laid out the seventh body, I saw Franz tucked in the shadow of a fallen building, quickly making grave markers with bits of wood and rocks bound with twine and vines. Something to show that there were bodies here and to turn the shallow graves into something a little more 'formal'.

There was no doubt in my mind that there were other villages like this, who didn't have random strangers happen to pass by to give them a proper burial. Villages filled with people who should've been safe, who should've been protected, only to be cut down cruelly and mercilessly. Only to be left to rot, to be a nest for maggots and a meal for carrion eaters. That was just how battles and wars were.

Eirika cried when we finished burying them. Cried for the pain and terror the villagers, people who relied on her and her family for protection, had felt in their final moments. I was numb to it all. It was just more death to me, and I was far too used to the weight of the dead breaking my back to react. Or maybe I was just too exhausted. Or maybe there was just something wrong with me. Hard to say. It was what it was.

* * *

That wasn't the only village we came across. Some were lucky and showed signs of evacuation prior to being ransacked. Others were like the first one we came across. We buried all the dead we came across. Gilliam and Seth would dig the graves, Franz would make the markers, Vanessa would make sure we had the time, and Eirika and I would dig the corpses out of the rubble. Then we would stand and pray as Moulder said funerary prayers for the nameless dead. ...No, not nameless. Just unknown names. And possibly would never be identified. Their names only known to the gods… and all people who should've never have been in harm's way in the first place…

Eirika's nightmares grew worse. It took her forever to nod off, and she always jerked back away before long with thousand of dead phantoms clawing at her heart. All I could do was hold her while she calmed down, which grew harder every day. As we saw more and more ruins, more and more dead… ha, and it made me think of the soldiers we had killed. The new recruits so green that even I could kill them… their families had to be in agony, hearing of their deaths. If they heard at all. Perhaps they would be left waiting and waiting for an answer that would never come…

"Are you okay, Emma?" Franz asked me, jolting me out of my head. This time, he walked with me in the back, carefully leading his horse beside him. Eirika had insisted on walking despite my worries; Moulder helped us compromise by walking with her. Gilliam and Seth were up front, discussing something. Vanessa was scouting, as per usual. "You seem melancholic."

"I'm fine, Franz," I replied. It was… closer to a lie than I'd like. While I never promised honesty to Franz, I had known him for some time. "I'm just a bit tired."

"You were still recovering from Monica's death when all this started too…" Franz frowned worriedly at me for a moment before gasping and digging through his saddlebag for something. "I'm sure I… yes, Forde, thank you for being predictable!" I didn't have time to wrap my head around that before Franz presented a couple of pieces of hard candy. Apple drops, a favorite of his. "He's always sneaking these into my things. Here, have one!"

"...Thank you." Unable to think of a reason to refuse, I popped one into my mouth. It was sweet and sour… and reminded me of the apples in Rosewatch. Specifically the apples I had taken from the stores, that Grandpapa James had insisted on giving me honey for because they were 'too sour' without the honey… "He likes spoiling you."

"And it's near impossible to return the favor." Franz happily tossed the other drop in his mouth, humming in delight at the taste. I had to smile at his enthusiasm. "But sugar makes everything better."

"That's why Orson had to lock all the sweets away from you when you were supposed to be training. You wanted to munch on sweets instead."

"I… I did not!" Franz's embarrassed blush, however, said otherwise. "He just thought I was eating too much for a proper diet and got worried."

"Most would worry when they see their friend's squire eating his weight in sugar."

"I wasn't eating that much!" He made a face and I ducked my head to try and hide my growing smile. "There, that's a bit better."

"Hmm?"

"You're still sad, but you're smiling." He grinned at me, and I… well, I had to admit to being touched. "I know you're pushing yourself a lot. You always do even when you're at your best."

"I am perfectly aware of my limits, Franz."

"Of course you are. That's how you know how to go past them every-whoa!" Franz's horse suddenly jerked forward, trying to reach one of the nearby trees to nibble on the leaves. Or maybe the grass by the roots. "No, no! You just ate!"

Though I tried to assist Franz in getting his horse to behave, we did have to recruit Seth's help. It led to a surprising amount of laughter and teasing, with poor Franz taking the brunt of it for his childish horse. Eirika _tried_ to at least muffle hers, unlike the rest, but I swore even Tyr, Seth's horse, snickered. It wasn't a bad thing, mind. It lightened the air and made the next few minutes of our journey strangely peaceful.

"Princess Eirika!" That is, until Vanessa returned, dismounting from her pegasus even before she had fully landed. Her pegasus danced in place, nervous, but Vanessa held onto the reins and kept her still. "There's bandits attacking the village to the east, past the mountains," she reported. Her words were terse and no-nonsense, but she gripped her reins so tightly that her fists shook. "From what I could tell, they just started the assault."

"Bandits…" Eirika whispered, eyes widening. In the distance, I thought I heard people screaming. But perhaps… "So, the villages we saw had truly been…"

"It seems so, your highness."

"Yes, while the soldiers are busy warring with each other, there are few who can ride out and rescue them," Seth elaborated. He calmly stroked Tyr's nose, the only sign on his frustration being how rigid he stood. "The bandits know this. That's why this is happening." That's why when the war ended… no matter who 'won', there would be countless villages destroyed, and even more dead. Because the knights could no longer protect the villagers from the 'simple' and 'everyday' threats when war came. Because the 'bigger picture' forced them to fight distant battles, and there was no room for the small. 'Save the world' and ignore the thousands of worlds that died everyday… "What shall we do, your highness?"

"We must help them," Eirika insisted. Not a single person was surprised. "If nothing else, surely we can buy time for the villagers to evacuate?"

"More like we can buy time for the other villages to fortify themselves, and to make the bandits decide this is too much trouble for the potential worth," I sighed. I had little doubts the village under attack was lost. If we had more than one flier, perhaps we could've helped them more, but we had only Vanessa. And only a flier would be able to get over the mountains in time. How many graves would be dug today? ...No, perhaps it would be more accurate to ask 'how many bodies would be left to rot?' instead. We would try, but given the circumstances, we might not be able to bury any of the fallen… "Still, we can probably handle that. For maybe one village."

"That will be enough." No, it wouldn't. I could tell by the sadness in her gaze. But it would be better than doing _nothing_. "I'm sorry, everyone, but… but these are my people. I can't do much for them now." She faced everyone and bowed. I noticed that she had 'flipped' one of the charms on Grandpapa James's bracelet to clutch tightly. No doubt she was remembering the flight from Rosewatch. "But what I can, I must."

"Do not forget, Princess Eirika, that you travel with a healer and knights," Moulder gently chided. His smile was kind and reassuring, matching his tone perfectly. "If you gave the order, we might be able to ignore our own wishes, but none in this company can simply turn away when innocents are hurt." He chuckled, nodding to where Vanessa was already tightening her saddle, checking everything over for potential battle. "The main worry is simply how to utilize our small force effectively. Then again, if we go by songs..."

"Can we please not bring up those songs right now?" Seth sighed. I knew he was doing his level best to not get irritated. Particularly since there were a few songs of how he had stormed bandit bases alone. Those songs neglected how Orson had to drag him to the healers afterwards. And the lectures Monica had shrieked at him. "Please."

"You shouldn't have let him know they bother you," Gilliam immediately 'scolded'. He didn't smile, so the words came off as 'serious'. But there was definitely a glint of laughter to his otherwise hard gaze. "Now he'll bring it up as often and innocently as possible."

"Well, it can at least wait until we're camped for the night." Seth turned to Vanessa and waved her closer. "Tell us all that you saw. Numbers, weapons… everything. We'll need every shred of information we can get."

"And then we'll need more, but we'll learn that along the way." Gilliam calmly checked the buckles of his armor, tightening a few. I supposed when he traveled, he kept them looser so that he didn't heat up as much. "We also need the locations of other villages."

"We passed a village on the way here, didn't we?" I prompted, thinking. I remembered something like that. It had stood out along the way because it had been whole, with people walking about like it was just a normal day. Well, it had been, for them. "I'll head back and warn them. One person should be enough for that, and we don't know how many might be in the mountains, hiking down, right?"

"Will you be all right on your own?" Gilliam asked immediately. Once upon a time, I might've bristled and thought I was being ridiculed, but I was too tired to get offended. Besides, I could see the concern in his eyes. Even if I didn't, Seth's frown showed enough. "If there are bandits there, then you will have to help the villagers."

"We have limited numbers, and if we're to have a chance at saving the villagers, then the ones with the most experience need to push forward, right?" That's how I saw it. Better to have the least experienced fall back and take the gamble. The least experienced here were Eirika and me. But I was less likely to be recognized, and even those who thought they'd recognize me were likely only going to 'see' a 'Jehannan mercenary'. I was also easily the most expendable of the group. Yes, there was my promise to Grandpapa James, and I'd hate to break it if only because it was one of his last wishes, but that mattered little in the grand scheme of things. "We don't really have time to debate, do we?"

"No, we don't." Gilliam frowned… but then again, his face just seemed to almost always be scowling or stoic. "Remember that lances do not fare as well against axes. If you get into a fight, dart in close before they can strike."

"Understood." Noticing Eirika's worried look, I forced a smile. It felt stiff, but hopefully, it was enough to reassure. "I'll return soon."

* * *

When I made it to the village, I discovered a couple of things. One, the bandits had actually tried to attack here. Two, someone took offense to that. Three, that someone decided the best way to deal with said offense was to char-boil them into ash. Four, that someone was still here. And five, that some was General Selena, the Fluorspar of the Imperial Three. Of all the people it had to be…!

"Another one?" she asked, her words drawling slightly from annoyance. However, she didn't attack me immediately. Instead, she frowned, studying me closely while she calmed her horse down. "Who are you? Based on your weapons, I would say you are not one of the local peasantry." Her eyes narrowed, quickly focusing on my hair. "Ah, of course. You must be a mercenary."

"Yes, I am," I lied, doing my best to mimic Mom's accent. I used to do so as a child, just for fun. I could only hope it at least added to the sudden act I had to pull off. Oh, I was especially glad Eirika hadn't come here now. For one thing, Eirika couldn't lie anymore than a newborn could walk. "With a group, heading back towards Jehanna. Thought we could avoid trouble by swinging south, but no such luck."

"Yes, with the collapse of Ivroria, bandits had squirmed out of the woodwork." She sighed, shaking her head. I bit back the scathing words I thought, specifically about how it was _her emperor_ that gave the order. "I would like to assist further, but…" She looked back at the village, which had its gates firmly shut and archers on the edges. She must've gotten them organized enough. "I have orders to quit the area immediately. Might I hire you to take care of the problem?"

"You may." The hell? I didn't know Selena personally, since she was assigned to guard or escort Eirika back in Grado, but I knew her by reputation. With her magic, she could obliterate the bandits in maybe twenty seconds. "Bit surprised you're wanting to help. You're a Grado general, aren't you?"

"These aren't soldiers. They're people." So, were soldiers not people now? That was just wrong. They still had families who mourned, families who waited…! "They shouldn't have to suffer because their leaders fight." And soldiers should suffer? It wasn't like everyone joined for moral superiority or whatever. Some just did it for steady pay. That's why Daniel had enlisted. "Here, take these as your payment." At least she paid well. The gems she pulled out of her saddlebag and handed me at least looked like they were of good quality. "Thank you."

"Of course." I bit back further words and kept silent as she rode off. Rode off to the _north_ at that, far away from the bandits. "She really couldn't have bothered to stay and help? Or at least kill some on her way out? Does she really think orders are everything?" That just… disgusted me. She was no _knight_ , no matter what her title claimed, if she followed orders so literally and blindly. "Tch…!"

I pocketed the gems and walked over to the gates to make sure the village was fine. They asked me to help them reinforce one of the walls, an easy enough task, and then reassured me that they'd be fine and, more specifically, would prepare for any refugees. I was touched to hear them volunteer and promised to help any survivors make it to them before I left to rejoin the others. Who were in the thick of battle by then. Since I had no idea what to do, I decided to go straight for Seth, since he was easily found even in the mess and he'd probably have an idea of where I should be. Also, because Seth killed a bandit with each swing of his blade, it was arguably the safest place in the field.

"I see you've returned," Seth noted, cutting down another bandit with ease. I frowned when I noticed he slightly winced. Eirika was right… something had to be up. But now wasn't the time to confront him. "Is everything well?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked, walking over to him once he stilled. I distinct 'squelch' sound made me look down and I saw I… I had stepped in someone's guts. My stomach didn't need that… "Do I look worried or something?"

"You look annoyed." Seth patted Tyr's neck, whispering praises to him. Tyr tossed his head back, slinging some blood off his armor. "What has you angry?"

"Selena is a gods damned idiot who 'hired' us to kill bandits while she..." I grumbled a few more curses under my breath, and only noticed Seth's staring after a moment. "What?"

"To clarify, by Selena, you mean…?"

"The Fluorspar. Mage-knight extraordinaire who could turn a field of soldiers into charcoal, who insisted on following orders instead of helping people." Gods above and below, that just _irritated me_. But the edge of the feeling was dulled by Seth's incredulous staring. "What?"

"...You were hired to kill bandits by a _Grado General_." Seth spoke slowly, adding weight to each word. It still took me a second to realize the complete and utter ridiculousness of what had happened. "Why do I have a bad feeling we're going to be seeing a lot of that Jehannan luck?"

"We're at least going to _hear_ about it a lot." There had to be a bias for it. Noticing it more, that sort of thing. Or just strange luck being attributed to Jehannans. "But yes, she annoyed me. Didn't stay around to help because she had orders."

"Of course that bothers you." Seth smiled wanly, and I shrugged. Anyone worth serving wouldn't balk at the idea of delaying a little to save people. I wholeheartedly believed that. I knew Seth did as well. "I'm surprised you didn't yell at her directly."

"I didn't want her to pay that much attention to me." And if I had to admit it, I knew it was a good thing that she hadn't stayed. She might've just seen my coloring and made assumptions, but Seth was _famous_. Still, she didn't ask a damn thing about 'my group'. Nothing about numbers or even how many years of experience we had!

"You don't think she guessed who you were?"

"I barely saw her when I visited Grado with Princess Eirika. I saw Glen and Duessel far more than I did her." So, I doubted she'd recognize me, particularly when I was dressed so differently. "I suppose I wouldn't call it 'impossible', but…"

"I see." He nodded, frowning slightly. No doubt determining scenarios just in case. "I wonder why she was on her own here."

"She didn't say." She had enough sense to keep quiet, at least. "Maybe looking for stragglers from Ivroria?"

"Perhaps." Seth shook his head, no doubt to rid himself of distracting thoughts, before nodding to something I couldn't see. "The village that was under assault is that direction. Vanessa managed to rescue a young boy who had been fighting alongside a few others and was injured, and she returned to see who else she could help."

"So, you want me to hunt for archers or something?" Even a child knew how dangerous arrows were to fliers, particularly pegasi. "Village in the north is fine and preparing for refugees. Should I tell Vanessa if I see her?"

"Yes. I'll inform the others."

"Understood." This was… much too serious for me. "Is this where I salute? Or should I curtsey?"

"On with you." He rolled his eyes, now shaking his head in exasperation. I was _good_ at getting that reaction out of him. I had years of practice. "I'll check the area here before heading south. I'll send Franz up to reinforce you. We don't know how long the villagers can last."

"Got it." Honestly, the villagers were probably dead. But neither of us wanted to say that. "See you soon."

I ran the direction he'd nodded, ignoring when why steps gained a distinct 'squish' or 'squelch' sound. And trying to not fall when I accidentally stepped on a limb and it rolled under my weight. There weren't that many bodies out here, but once or twice was more than what a person should experience in their life. Much more. But I couldn't focus on that. I had things to do. I had to help Vanessa, because a single arrow could mean more than her death. It could mean the death of any villagers she tried to protect, tried to save.

I got lucky and managed to ambush the first archer I found. I got luckier and dodged their retaliatory arrow before getting the kill. Unfortunately, though, the fight was loud and caught the attention of the bandits nearby. And they wanted revenge for the one I'd killed.

I wasn't sure how long I fought. I did know that these bandits didn't go down as 'quickly' as the soldiers I had killed. I had to resort to thinks like kicks to the groin in order to even get a good hit in, much less a kill. It really made me think of those soldiers. They must've just joined… just joined and died. Because of me. It was my fault. And even these bandits… did they have family? Friends? I knew the stereotype of bandits, of course, but I also knew that stereotypes rarely reflected reality. So, the ones I killed… did I destroy part of a person's world with each thrust of my lance? The blood, the smell… neither were as nauseating as that single thought.

But, unfortunately, thoughts were distractions, especially during a fight. More than once, I nearly lost my head or had my guts replaced with an axe just because I wasn't fully focused. I certainly gained an assortment of gashes and cuts from near misses. But the thing that almost proved fatal? A single arrow, straight to my leg. That alone made me crumple to the ground and, even worse, the shaft broke off, leaving part of it _in_ my leg. Right as a couple of bandits were bearing down on me. I tried to stand, but I couldn't. The pain in my leg was too great. It made black dots swim in my vision, and I could barely grip my lance, much less grab my fan from my belt. So, I was certain… that this would be where I died…

It wasn't. Because someone wielding an axe like it was just an extension of his arm cleaved one bandit's skull into pieces, before taking the bandit's own axe and throwing it into the other bandit's chest. The archer who had shot me tried to kill my savior, but he blocked it with the flat side of his axe before throwing the axe and scoring another kill. He calmly picked up one of the fallen axes nearby, checked the area for any other attackers, and turned to look at me. That's when his jaw dropped.

"Tabitha?" he whispered. Almost immediately, though, he shook his head. "Wait, no, Tabitha died. She died years ago." He blinked slowly, trying to process things. I was doing much the same because I recognized him. I knew him. I hadn't seen him since Felix's funeral, but he hadn't changed all that much. "The coloring is hers, but those eyes are too much like Alex's… you can't be Emma, can you?"

"Hello again, Garcia," I mumbled, defaulting to manners. What were the chances? I knew he had retired after his wife's death to raise his son, but for us to pass by his home? While it was under attack, meaning we actually got involved instead of just walked on by? Seriously, what were the _chances_? "It's been a while."

"It has." He looked at my leg and swore. I had to smile, because I recognized it as one of Mom's favorite curses. "Of course it broke in your leg."

"Yes, of course." Because that was just how it was. "Hey, at least it's not poisoned! I think."

"No, they probably just made sure it was stuck in the mud first." Garcia crouched down and easily picked me up with one arm. Like I was five years old again, not seventeen. "Meaning you have a muddied arrow-head buried deep in your leg."

"Ah." Well, damn. "That sounds bad. And something that Mom would do."

"One way that Tabitha and Alex flirted was through discussions on how to kill people with plants and dirt." That… that somehow didn't surprise me. "Let's get you to someone. A healer, hopefully."

"Moulder. He's…" Somewhere. I had no idea where, actually. "Well…"

"Shouldn't be too hard to find him. His area will be relatively calm." A bandit charged us, emerging from the underbrush of some nearby trees, but without even looking, Garcia slammed his axe into them, leaving a giant gash across their torso that gushed blood as they fell. They jerked and spasmed for a moment, choking on the blood, before growing still. "Try to keep still? It'll be easier for me. I'm a bit out of practice." His eyes narrowed suddenly, frowning at something behind me. "Who's… that blonde knight reminds me of Felix…"

"That's Franz, his younger son." I answered before I even twisted to look and I waved when I confirmed it was him. Franz waved back and immediately turned his horse to ride over to us. And yelped when he saw my leg. "Hey, Franz… Garcia is carrying me to a healer. Is Vanessa near?"

"Vanessa just evacuated the last of the villagers and has switched to targeting bandits," Franz informed us. He quickly pulled some cloth from his saddlebags and pressed it against my wounded leg. I hissed in pain, and he winced in sympathy. "Sorry, but it looked like you needed pressure on it. Oh, wait, I should introduce myself to… hold on, I know the name 'Garcia'."

"I see you took after your mother," Garcia gently teased. He looked between Franz and me a few times before sighing gustily. "Damn, I'm old. I was feeling it before, but seeing you two grown makes it _really_ obvious."

"Er… sorry?"

"Children shouldn't apologize for growing up." Garcia shook his head and smiled. "Still, she's right. I'm getting her to your healer."

"Down south." Franz saluted. "I'll take over here!"

"Good, lad."

Leaving Franz behind to fight, Garcia carried me easily, killing any bandits who thought he'd be an easy target while carrying someone. But Garcia fought like it was nothing, making me wonder if he had some practice with this. It didn't really matter, of course, but it was a curious thing. Still, I was grateful when we found Moulder, who had set up a small 'infirmary' in the relative safety of a grove of trees. I was very, very grateful.

"I see we should have sent Franz to you earlier, based on these injuries," Moulder murmured, immediately checking me over as soon as Garcia set me down. Garcia left without a word, possibly to return and help Franz. "Where is your lance?"

"Probably somewhere on the field, since Garcia picked me up," I explained. It took all I had to not accidentally kick him when he inspected the arrow wound on my leg. It hurt a lot. Even more now, actually. Battle-fever was a terrible thing. "I should've held onto it." Did… did I need a weapon right now? "I have my fan. Do I need to cut something?" Did my leg have to be amputated? Like how I'd cut that soldier's arm off back at Mulan?

"Hmm? Oh, no, it was simply a conversation topic. Something to try and help you deal with the pain." He smiled faintly at me. Faint, and wry. "I should have picked a different subject. My apologies."

"Nah, it's fine." I flinched when he pulled the edges of the wound on my leg to peer inside it. Just that little bit felt like molten metal... "This is going to be painful, isn't it? You're going to have to dig into the wound, right?"

"I have some numbing herbs." He sat back on his heels and pulled his pack over. "I'll apply-"

"No, just go ahead." I gripped the grass beside me with a white-knuckled grip, ripping some of it out of the ground. But I set my jaw and met his gaze when he looked back at me. "I can endure. Save it. Who knows when we'll find more?"

"...Very well." Moulder checked over my other injuries before nodding. "Then we'll treat this first." He pulled out a few instruments, most notably a knife. Oh, gods, this was going to suck… "Still sure about no numbing herbs."

"Yes." Because I was a stubborn idiot.

"Okay."

Within seconds into the surgery, I had bloodied my lip to keep from screaming and mentally called myself at least twenty different kinds of idiot. I completely tensed up, so rigid that my other injuries burned in protest, and I had to close my eyes to keep from crying. All the worse was the feeling of warm blood streaming down my leg. It felt warm even as prickling heat flooded me, like when you were stuck outside for too long and you were about to faint. Was I about to pass out? I'd honestly welcome it.

"...Ma…" Someone was saying something. I could barely hear it through the pounding of my heart and head. "Emma." My name. Someone was saying my name. "Emma, are you conscious?"

"Reluctantly," I croaked, coughing. Slowly, I opened my eyes and I saw Moulder peering at me as he healed up my leg with his staff. Once he got it to a certain point, he stopped and began bandaging it. "Is it out?"

"Yes," he confirmed. He paused in bandaging to show me the arrowhead, drenched with my blood. He set it down on his leg and went back to bandaging me. "I want to check the wound again when we rest for the night, to ensure it was properly cleaned. Once I confirm that, I'll heal it in full."

"Thank you." My voice was crackling. My mouth was dry. "I appreciate it."

"Of course." He finished with my leg and then picked up his staff to investigate the rest of my injuries. "When we can, we should get you some armor for your legs."

"Huh?"

"While a weakened arrowhead is a pragmatic trick, they're not good against armor. Easy to imagine why, yes?" It took a bit of thought, but yeah, it did. "Most women in Frelia's army are pegasus knights, who don't require armor on their legs because they're strapped into their saddles. You and Princess Eirika were armed as they are." Moulder shook his head and smiled regretfully at me. "My deepest apologies, Emma. I should have thought of this before we left."

"Well, at least it was me and not Princess Eirika." Slowly, I made myself relax. And I winced as pain spiked through me. "So, am I as bad off as I feel?"

"Nothing that can't be fixed."

"That doesn't actually answer my question." But, then again, I didn't actually want an answer. It had been mostly rhetorical anyway. He no doubt knew that. "Do I need to do anything?"

"Just sit still."

"Okay."

By the time Moulder finished healing me up, the battle was over. Not only that, but Garcia had actually agreed to join our little group. He and his son, Ross. I just nodded when Eirika told me, and rested my head on her shoulder to doze while Moulder healed Franz and Ross up. Both had taken significant injuries, just as I had, so it would take a while...

I was exhausted… I didn't want to move...

* * *

'Hilariously', in that very specific 'life must hate me' sort of way, despite how exhausted I had been after the battle, I couldn't sleep. At all. Even though my eyes felt gritty and prickled from tiredness, I just couldn't sleep. I couldn't even doze off. I just laid there under the blankets, staring at the blank 'ceiling' of the tent while Eirika mumbled and whimpered in her sleep from nightmares. After a while, I sighed and got up, slipping out of the tent. I thought maybe a walk or stargazing would help me. However, I didn't quite expect to see Garcia up, with Ross was fast asleep on Garcia's shoulder. At least, until I remembered the two had volunteered for 'first watch' of the night.

"Couldn't sleep?" Garcia asked, noticing me immediately. After all, it wasn't as if I was trying to hide. "Not that much of a surprise. You either pass out or remain wide awake during your first few." He smiled at Ross, chuckling. "He ended up being the former, for all his talk of 'doing his duty'."

"I'd be just as asleep if I could," I answered, envious. I just wanted the day to end already. I didn't want any thoughts bouncing through my empty skull anymore. "But no, you're right. I couldn't sleep."

"Tomorrow, ask Moulder for some sleeping teas to keep on hand. It'll help." Silence fell, more than a little awkward. Not that much of a surprise. It had literally been years since I'd seen him. Hell, it had been years since I'd even heard from him. Monica had invited him to her wedding, and while he had refused, he had sent a wedding gift. "So, how is Monica doing? Must be worried, with you out here."

"She died six months ago." I wasn't surprised he didn't know. It wasn't like you sent 'invitations' to a funeral, and we were pretty far from Ivroria, where most of the gossip was.

"...Ah." Awkward silence again. Not sure how to go about breaking it. "So, did you escape Ivroria with Princess Eirika? I got a letter about you being her lady in waiting." He had? I hadn't known Monica had told him. Though, maybe it had been King Fado...

"No, after Monica died, I left her service. I…" I couldn't say more. I felt ashamed to say this to him, of all people. He had been, after all, one of Dad's best friends. And Dad wouldn't have…

"I see." Strangely, however, Garcia didn't sound surprised. That made me feel worse. Like he'd expected the disappointment. "Then, how did you end up here?"

"Seth and I are blaming his Jehannan luck, actually."

Hesitantly, I sat down next to him and told him about how I found Eirika and Seth in my house during the rain. How Eirika had just picked it at random after Seth fell unconscious. I told him about the days after, where I hid them there while Seth healed, and Rosewatch slowly emptied. I told him about Valter's attack, of the flight from Rosewatch, of Grandpapa James's death. How we made it to Frelia, and helped recapture Mulan. I held nothing back, save what I thought about it all and… and what I knew about King Fado's death. Garcia didn't need to hear from me that he'd been mercy-killed after hours of torture. I was sure simply hearing of the death had been hard enough.

By the end of it all, though, Garcia surprisingly had to muffle laughter. "That… that sounds like Jehannan luck right there," he managed. I immediately made a face. "Tabitha, Lady Ismaire, and Lord Raphael complained about it all the time. It only took about a week in their company for me to agree with them."

"You're talking about the job where Mom and Dad met, right?" Lord Raphael… that had to be King Raphael, Queen Ismaire's deceased husband. He died suddenly to illness a few years back, and then their son disappeared.

"I am. But, I'd rather not speak of it right now. Or, rather, I swore secrecy and I do not wish to break my silence." That was disappointing, but I could understand. Promises were important, after all. "Still, that fan saved you, huh? Lunete would've been glad."

"Was that the friend who gave it to her?"

"Indeed. Tabitha tried to refuse, but Lunete insisted. 'You never know when it might be useful!'." I'd say. That fan had hung on the wall for as long as I could remember. And it just so happened to be the first weapon I had grabbed. "A shame Lunete died years ago. I can imagine her glee far too easily."

"I see." Honestly, it didn't surprise me to hear she was dead. So many connected to my parents and me were dead that… "So, this is Ross, huh?" I vaguely remembered him talking to Mom about him, at Felix's funeral.

"Hmm? Ah, yes." He smiled lovingly at Ross, who just kept snoring away on Garcia's shoulder. "He's a hothead and reckless, but he's a kind kid at heart. He might badger you some, though. I told him stories about Alex and Tabitha."

"That so, huh?" Well, I'd have to deal with it. I wasn't quite sure how old he was, but I did know he was younger than me. Fifteen, maybe? That sounded right, at least. "I'm sure I've ways to distract him if he bothers me. I'm an expert at being a younger sibling, after all."

"You can just send him to me. I can figure out something pretty quickly."

"I'll keep that in mind." Still, I was distracting him, wasn't I? Watch had to… well… keep watch. That was the point of the job. "Speaking of being an expert little sibling, I should bother Seth. I doubt he's asleep yet."

"He better be. He's last watch."

"That means nothing to him."

It was amusing seeing Garcia frown, and I had a feeling he was going to at least try and scold Seth about his sleeping habits. But that wasn't my business, technically, so I simply wished him well and headed for Seth's tent, which was on the other side of the camp. I walked inside without knocking. Because I could. However, that led to a sight that was familiar, though I really didn't want it to be. Seth bandaging up the hole in his arm again, with the bandage practically dripping from blood.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Seth asked dryly, trying to keep his bleeding arm over a towel. Probably to keep from staining things. "We're halfway through first watch."

"You are the last person to scold anyone on their sleeping habits," I retorted without thinking about it. After staring at the wound for a moment longer, I immediately snatched his first aid kit from him to handle cleaning the wound myself. He just sighed and let me. "How is it not…?"

"It could be a number of factors. Based on the degree of injury, Moulder believes it's caused partially due to Valter's spear being serrated, and it 'scraping' over my skin instead of piercing." Serrations… that would could lots of little tears, wouldn't it? And since I doubted Valter cleaned his weapons in between battles… "Since it was showing signs of necrosis by the time we made it to Serton, it's also possible there was some sort of slow-acting poison. That's less likely, however, given the length of time."

"You did not just say _necrosis_." I frowned at him and immediately began inspecting the wound as I cleaned. I hadn't noticed anything when I helped him before, but… "Seriously?"

"It had just started. It could've been caused by… what was the word Moulder used? Ischemia? Restriction of blood to the area, he said. Which also wouldn't help with it healing properly." He shrugged, unbothered. I felt like grabbing his lance and whacking him over the head with it. "While he was cutting away the dead skin, Moulder also mentioned that stress and repeated trauma are also lengthening the healing."

"Repeated trauma?"

"I would have to immobilize my arm to keep from irritating the wound, and even then, that might not be enough." His smile was faint, bitter, and I felt cold. Valter had been trying to cripple him. If not kill, then cripple. And while I could acknowledge that was a 'viable tactic' in battle, since pretty much anything went in battle, it was sickening to see it happen to someone I'd grown up with. To _Seth_. "I'll be fine, Emma."

"Eirika's noticed something is wrong." Carefully, I began bandaging up his arm with shaking hands. "She asked me to find out. What do you want me to tell her? I won't lie to her."

"Of course you won't. You show your loyalty through honesty." And he showed it through enduring. "...You may tell her that I am being treated by Moulder. But I ask that you do not tell her the full extent of my injury, if you can avoid it."

"Okay." I'd have to be careful. Ugh… I hated situations like this… "I'm going to be dancing around with words a lot, aren't I?"

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault." It was just war. Like Eirika and I had mentioned, truth was always the second casualty of war. That made it harder to be honest. Yet, it felt all the more important because of that. "Just know that if I can't wriggle out of answering, I will have to tell her the full truth. I promised that I would never lie to her."

"I know." Seth used his free hand to awkwardly ruffle my hair. "We must do what we can."

"That would be a lot easier if _someone_ had let Eirika and me help with chores earlier."

"That is another matter entirely." And it was a very good subject change for that reason. "I just know Orson is going to hurt me for this."

"Oh, please, he's going to have an aneurysm anyway when we're done explaining things to him, so I doubt he'll be fit enough to hurt you." ...It was a joke, but I realized there was a very real possibility of Orson's health complicating things. It wasn't as if he'd been all that healthy before disappearing after Ephraim. He'd been wrecked by Monica's death, all the more so because he hadn't… "We might want to warn Moulder before we tell him anything."

"Probably a good idea."

I finished bandaging Seth's arm and bullied him into at least laying down. If stress was a cause of his wound not healing properly, then him resting was even more important than usual. I knew I couldn't make him sleep, short of finding some herbs and making some sort of sleeping potion, but I could at least make him rest. For a few seconds. I thought about just staying in the tent to make sure he'd rest, but I knew that would make Seth uncomfortable. He _hated_ being fussed over.

So, I did what I could and returned to the tent I shared with Eirika. A good thing, since she had just woken up from a nightmare and was frantically looking around. The relieved smile she wore when she saw me made my heart ache, so I quickly laid down and held her hand while whispering some stories. Fairy tales… things we liked to read when we were younger and the world didn't seem so scary. Eirika told a few of her own, and sometimes, we took turns telling the same one. The whispers were almost like a prayer, a talisman to ward against the nightmares that loomed over us both as we tried to go to sleep...

This was all either of us could do. Might as well do it.

* * *

_Franz_

_The younger son of Sir Felix, the Ashen Knight, and the younger brother of Forde, one of Prince Ephraim's personal knights. Once the squire of Seth, he swore his oaths of knighthood recently before the trouble started and is keenly aware of just how far he has to go before reaching the same level as his brother_

_Because he is only recently knighted, his experience is lacking. However, his willingness to learn leads him to eagerly train with anyone and everyone, and he is constantly studying the tactics and training of those around him to incorporate into his own fighting style. As a result, he's a highly versatile fighter with a great amount of potential._

_A terribly kind, earnest young man who is incredibly loyal to the royal twins, partially due to the influence of Seth and Orson, partially because of his brother's own loyalty, and partially out of his deep-set belief that they will be able to raise Renais to even brighter heights._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: It's… rather hilarious I just happened to pick names that connected to Three Houses, huh? Though 'Glen' and 'Glenn' is something the game inflicted on me and, let me tell you, it was annoying trying to remember which spelling was used. I'm almost certain I switched them more than a few times, so sorry for the ones I didn't catch!


	5. Chapter 3) The Bandits of Borgo

Chapter 3) The Bandits of Borgo

* * *

_We continue our march south and west, towards Serafew. Along the way, though, we see the remains of Renaisi villages, and people. Victims of soldiers, victims of bandits… It reminds me of Mom's stories about battles, where civilians are the first and last to bleed during any sort of conflict. Makes me even angrier that Selena just left civilians to the first person who claimed to be a mercenary and rode off because of her orders. It was damn lucky that I did actually travel with talented fighters as otherwise, all of the villages would've burned._

_To make matters worse? The further into Renais we travel, the worse everything gets. It's like Grado is attempting to utterly obliterate Renais. Along with its own reputation. But seeing as the 'kind and quiet' Emperor Vigarde started this mess in the first place, and lets a mad dog like Valter run loose, perhaps maintaining its noble reputation was never part of the plans at all. Perhaps the reputation had only been a mask in the first place._

* * *

"So, where are these going again?" Ross asked, hefting up some boxes. Was that the right phrase? Word? Didn't care. I hadn't slept well, again, and was too exhausted to word things, much less care if I did it correctly or not. "Over by the fence?"

"No, we're actually taking these to the center of town," I reminded him, balancing some baskets filled with wooden stakes against my hip. I believed they'd be used as spikes for traps or something? I wasn't quite sure, but Gilliam had insisted on them. "You're carrying extra supplies, and I have to see if we need to whittle more or if we finally have enough."

"Oh, that's right." He grinned a little sheepishly. I just adjusted my hood, making sure it would stay up. "Why was I thinking the fence?"

"Because that's where your last box went?"

"...Why didn't I think of that?" He made a face, but waited for me before leading the way to the center of the village. "You think this will be enough?"

"We can only hope." Some children rushed past us, carrying blankets that fluttered behind them almost like capes. Or wings, perhaps? "That's all we can do, sadly."

At some point during the journey, it was decided we use the gems I got from Selena to buy some supplies. It was a risk for a number of reasons, up to and including the fact that most travelers wouldn't exactly be traveling with gems, but with the other option being attempting to forage in areas that had been decimated by bandits… it was much needed. Ross and Garcia had volunteered to head in for us, since a large group would only attract attention, but they had returned quickly with information. Namely, the villagers were frantically trying to fortify their home against a potential bandit assault.

Eirika, of course, had wanted to help as soon as she heard. It didn't take long for everyone to agree. The thought of just leaving while they were desperately running around like headless chickens… it left a bitter taste. There had been some worry about being recognized, so we had to make Seth wear a hood. Eirika wasn't necessarily recognizable on sight, since she tended to stay in the capital and word of mouth rarely mentioned her hair or eye color. Seth, however, had the disadvantage of having Jehannan red hair and eyes, which the songs just loved going on and on about, and not many in Renais had that coloring. Even though I found the whole thing amusing, mostly by how much Seth cursed under his breath about songs and bards, I chose to wear a hood as well in solidarity. And to help him stand out a little less.

Once hoods were in place, all of us headed to the village to volunteer our help, and Vanessa 'haggled' out a compromise that we'd get discounts on the supplies we'd wanted to buy. Because when the villagers realized we were serious, they insisted on giving us said supplies for free in exchange for the help, while the knights in our group balked at the idea of getting paid to help. Vanessa had been the only one of the knights willing to compromise. ...Well, not the only one. Just the quickest.

"Say, Emma?" Ross began, adjusting his grip on the boxes. It took me a couple of blinks to get out of my thoughts, and I only really managed it because I… uh… I walked straight into an open door. "You okay?!"

"Ugh…" I groaned, freeing a hand to rub my stinging forehead. Freaking hell, that was… "I think I'm fine. Not like I've got any dignity to bruise." I glanced around curiously, and adjusted my hood again. "Sorry, I was thinking."

"You think too much." That was definitely not something I needed to hear from him. "Anyway, you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Ross, I'm fine." Biting back the urge to sigh, I started walked again, going slow so that he could easily catch up. "You wanted to ask me something?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry, got distracted." Well, that was only to be expected when someone walked into a door. Ow… my face still stung. "You were a knight, right?"

"Huh?" I frowned at him before shaking my head. "I was Princess Eirika's lady in waiting, Ross."

"But you protected her like a knight? I think that's what Dad said?"

"While my duties involved many other things besides that, protecting her should the situation require it was part of the responsibilities, yes?" Why was he asking this?"

"So, how long have you been training for that? When did you know that's what you wanted to do?" Ross grinned, with sparkling eyes that showed great interest. I was torn between irritation, guilt, and regret that I no doubt was going to punch a hole in his enthusiasm. "Dad said that knights have to start training when they're really young."

"Most aspiring knights are the children of nobility who have been training since they were young, yes, but a lady in waiting often does not begin weaponry lessons until after she is chosen." Unless one included playing around with Orson's practice weapons or using a kitchen knife, I didn't touch a weapon until I was fourteen. Orson made me practice, of course, and keep it up, but that was the extent of it. "Ross, I'm afraid that I'm not like you. I never wished to be a warrior or knight. I became her lady in waiting at King Fado's request, and I agreed because I was happy to help those my parents loved so dearly." Then, of course, I'd left like a coward. "So, I'm not sure where you're going with this line of questioning, but I doubt I can give you the answers you seek."

"Oh." He was silent for all of a second before grinning again. "That's pretty cool of you!"

"Huh?" I nearly tripped over my own feet at that. "What?"

"Taking up arms in order to protect those you love? I think that's pretty amazing of you!" He nodded decisively, eyes blazing with determination. "Still, I'll get stronger so that you don't have to fight as much! Just you wait and see!"

"Just… don't get yourself hurt too much?" What the hell? How was I supposed to reply to something like that? I was still reeling from the compliment, and trying to piece things together. I couldn't process how we got from 'point A' to 'point B'. "Garcia has already had to bury most of those he loved."

"Right… I have to be careful that my hotheadedness doesn't get me hurt." He made a face. I was surprised he agreed so readily. "I'll do my best! Moulder doesn't seem like the type of person you want angry at you anyway. And I think I have most of Dad's lectures memorized by this point."

"If you have them memorized, then did you really learn from them?"

"Er…" He blushed and looked away. Surprisingly, though, he didn't trip or run into anything. "I totally have!"

"Sure you did."

"I did!"

"Of course. Whatever you say."

"Oh, come on!"

The whole rest of the way to the town square, Ross continued insisting, and I kept nodding along, not quite believing him. We mutually agreed to drop it once there, and once he'd dropped off the boxes, he rushed off to help Franz carry some barrels into the local inn. I found Gilliam set up in the corner, surrounding by all sorts of contraptions, and he confirmed we had an adequate number of wooden stakes for whatever trick he had up his gauntlet. Not that I had any time to rest or breath or anything. As soon as he confirmed that, I was tasked with dropping off some fresh herbs with Moulder. After all, Moulder had set up a small clinic in one of the homes nearby to tend to various injuries and illnesses, and given there was a lot of carpentry going on, that led to a lot of 'I hit my thumb with the hammer instead of the nail' incidents. Or the 'I accidentally hammered the nail _through_ my hand' type of injury. I was amazed Moulder could keep a straight face and serene demeanor over just how some of these injuries happened, but I supposed it was just one of the skills healers had to learn.

"Why is it that I tell you not to do something, you seem to take it as 'yes, do this thing'?" That said, Moulder wasn't above scolding people for their idiocy. Even if they were certain famous knights that led the Crimson Flames. "Repeatedly removing the bandage disrupts the clotting process and adds even more time to healing," Moulder scolded, carefully cleaning Seth's injury. He didn't scowl or anything, but somehow, that made his lecture hit harder. "Worse, you remove whatever clots might have formed in the first place. It's a miracle you're not anemic yet with how much blood you've lost."

"It had soaked through?" Seth weakly justified. It wasn't often that Seth looked or sounded meek, but he was both right now. He even tried to make himself look smaller in his chair, rather like when Monica gave him the third-degree for stupidity. "So…"

"Yes, and you stupidly insist on hiding it. So, we cannot do things the proper way, which is add more bandaging on top of what had bled through." Moulder clicked his tongue, shaking in his head in clear disappointment. I ducked behind the door, wondering if I should let them know I was here or not. "But that is all the more reason that you should not change it by yourself without my permission. You cannot mitigate the damage, but I can. It's part of what I trained in, after all." Moulder looked over the wound closely, frowning. "Given that there is still an issue with drainage, however, it's likely the wound is deeper than I initially suspected. Or has been made deeper due to you stressing it continuously. Either way, we're going to pack the wound instead and see if that works better."

"Very well."

"And you are _not_ to remove it on your own. I will handle that." Moulder turned his frown at Seth, who looked away sheepishly. "Healer's orders. Your health is already bad enough due to your insistence on not sleeping. Do not force me to have you tied down to force you to rest. I've ordered it before; you may ask Gilliam." This was fascinating, but kind of awkward, so...

"I seemed to have walked in at the perfect time," I mused lightly, pretending I had just arrived. Moulder's frown dropped immediately for a kind smile. Seth just closed his eyes, annoyed that I'd overheard part of that conversation. "Moulder, if we need to, we can bribe him with honey cakes."

"Honey cakes, hmm?" Moulder replied, muffling a chuckle. Seth pointedly looked away. "I thought I heard you dislike sweets, Sir Seth? Syrene mentioned it once or twice."

"Except for Jehannan honey cakes. Which I not only know the recipe for, but know how to cook on a campfire." Since Jehannans were on the move a lot, the recipe was adapted. And, of course, Mom made sure to teach Monica and, to a lesser degree, me. "Regardless, Moulder, I have plants for you."

"Ah, thank you." Moulder held out his hands and I passed him the basket. "This is actually very good timing. I'm running low on a few stores."

"Things that deal with swelling, perhaps?" I patted Seth on the head, smiling when he scowled at me. "Be good for the healer, and I'll scrounge up the ingredients for honey cakes, okay?"

"I suppose I should be glad you're not hitting me with a fan to get me to cooperate," Seth grumbled. Remembering a time when Monica actually got so angry at him ignoring healers' orders that she had, in fact, done that… well, part of me wanted to smile. The rest felt pain. She had been so vibrant and now she was… "Emma?"

"Just thinking," I answered quickly. I couldn't really lie to Seth, but I… I didn't want to talk about Monica. "I suppose I should be nice and leave you to your scoldings."

"Will you check on Princess Eirika for me?" Seth looked down at the hole in his arm, and then at Moulder, who was quickly gathering things. "I have a feeling I'll be in here longer than I anticipated."

"Of course." Now that my mind was on Monica, though, all I could think of was how quickly she had deteriorated. How quickly everything went from 'okay' to 'dead'. And that wound on his arm clearly showed a lesson I knew very well. A lesson I had learned as a child, and just had reinforced over the course of my life. Death didn't give a damn about anyone, and it would claim those it wished without any warning at all. And Seth had gotten close. "Please be good, okay?" I hugged Seth from behind, resting my cheek briefly on his head. Unsurprisingly, he sat stiffly, not quite sure how to react. "Orson is gods-knows where. Monica was given six months left when she was diagnosed, but died in one. King Fado is dead, and Renais is in pieces. I know I'm being selfish, but please listen to him, okay? Unexpected things happen all the time."

"...I will." Awkwardly, Seth patted my arm. But if he'd had any other reaction, I probably would've checked him for a fever. "I will also take those honey cakes."

"As soon as I find all the ingredients. Promise."

I held onto Seth for a little bit longer before leaving, making sure to close the door behind me since Seth really did want to hide the injury. I let myself stay still for a second, breathing in deeply, and then I made myself move to find Eirika. More difficult that it sounded. After all, she insisted on talking to everyone, to see how they were doing. But that left a trail and, eventually, I found her talking to the leader of the village. Mayor? Headman? I couldn't remember what term he'd used when introducting himself. Or, for that matter, his name. Which was a bit awkward, but hey, I wasn't the one talking to him.

"My, that is a splendid bracelet you're wearing," he was saying as I approached. His eyes fell on the gold bracelet Eirika wore, the one with a blue gem. It was partially covered by the charms from Grandpapa James's bracelet. "You should be careful about wearing it so openly, though. Too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Eirika repeated. After a moment, she frowned. "Why?"

"Ever since the invasion, thieves and bandits have been running amuck." Of course they had. That was the whole reason why we were helping them. "Bazba's bandits are the worst of the lot, cruel beyond measure. To them, your life is worth less than the things you carry. Gods, what they did to Lark…"

"Lark?"

"Once our neighboring village. Now, nothing but a crumpled heap of ash and dead." He shuddered, rubbing his arm to ward away the sudden surge of goosebumps. "We saw the smoke and some of us rushed over to try and help, but it was far too late. Far, far too late."

"That's…" Eirika covered her mouth. "That's awful…"

"The ones who were there thought they saw two survivors, a boy and a girl, but they only caught the briefest glimpse. If they were not ghosts or a hallucination, then I can only hope they do not do something foolish like charge the bandits' hideout." He shook his head and looked Eirika right in the eye. "You are strong and travel with good company, but please, be careful, miss. These are dark days, and I fear they will only grow darker."

Thankfully for Eirika, someone called him away then and the conversation ended there. I walked to her side and studied her for a second. Then I carefully took Eirika by the arm and led her a short distance away, on the outskirts of the village. She didn't like being in public when she was thinking deeply. It made it harder for her to act as she was expected to. And she was always scrutinized heavily, no thanks to Ephraim's blatant disregard to propriety.

So, when I judged we were far enough away, I pushed back my hood (because it was annoying me at the moment) and poked her cheek. "I think I see a frown," I half-teased. She didn't really respond. "You shouldn't be lost in thoughts all alone, you know." I nudged her shoulder with mine, and, this time, she smiled wanly in return. "What are you thinking of? Let me guess?"

"Well, here's your hint. It's someone who irritates you."

"Ah, then your rapscallion of a twin!" I frowned as I tried to remember the proper meaning of that word. "Wait, that might be too mild of a description for him."

"It's a fun word, though!" She chuckled, but grew contemplative again. "I was just remembering when I first asked him to teach me swords."

"That was three years ago, right?" I only vaguely knew about it, since I'd always made sure to be busy. I hadn't seen a point in watching and it gave me time to tease and prank Orson. "You had wanted to protect yourself a little."

"Yes, and maybe protect him. And perhaps ease the burden on you." She hugged herself, shivering. "Now, the world has gone mad. Completely and utterly mad." She was silent for a moment before smiling bitterly at me. "We should return to the others. There's still much to be done."

"If you want to." I waited for her to turn back before doing the same. "Perhaps the two of us can volunteer to cook something, or at least help with the cooking? It would be a nice change of pace."

"For who? You cook every meal for every day."

"Cooking in a kitchen is very different than cooking over a fire." I pretended to be insulted, and because I was focused on that (and Eirika was trying to not laugh), I didn't notice the boy running for us until… "Ack! Watch out!" Until he crashed right into Eirika, nearly sending them both to the ground.

"Oops! Beg pardon!" the boy (who was very blue, literally) yelped before recovering his footing and continuing on. And he was out of sight before Eirika and I recovered.

"Well, that… that just happened," I 'observed', for lack of an actual reaction. Eirika could only nod, bewildered by the event. I mean… we went from dark and somber conversation to _that_ of all things. Bit of a sudden change, that. "Strange, though… there's plenty of room to go around us. Did he expect that we'd get out of the way?" It took me a very, very long moment to realize what should've been obvious. That… the whole bumping into someone thing… that was a common thief's trick! "Check your pockets."

"Huh?" Eirika 'replied', blinking slowly at me. Only after she saw me checking my own pockets that she obeyed. "Why?"

"Pickpocket trick." Satisfied that everything was in order with me, I helped Eirika check herself over. And, thus, it only took a half-second to realize just what was gone. "Your bracelet…" The one she got from King Fado when she was a child. The one that was the twin to Ephraim's own bracelet. It was gone. "For it to have slipped off that easily… I thought you'd been losing some weight."

"Yeah, I haven't… I haven't been hungry." Shakily, Eirika brushed her fingers along her wrist, where the bracelet had always been. Now, she just wore Grandpapa James's bracelet. "Ha… well, I suppose… it really is gone, huh?" This felt surreal. It shouldn't, of course. We had both lost more important things. But I had _never_ seen her without that bracelet before. Her losing it was the same as me losing the charm bracelet Grandpapa James gave me, and that… the thought hurt. It hurt a lot. So, I couldn't even imagine how she felt.

"There you two are." Neither of us had recovered by the time Seth found us. As a result, he immediately noticed something was wrong. "What happened?" he 'asked'. It was that tone of 'you are going to tell me so that I can attempt to fix it'. Almost a demand, but not quite.

"It's nothing really," Eirika tried to reassure. Unfortunately, her complexion was pale and her voice trembled slightly, easily revealing the lie. "It's just that… well, this boy bumped into me and stole my bracelet. The one I got from Father." She brought up her wrist to show him, and Seth's eyes widened. "Still, at least he left the charm bracelet alone? I'm only borrowing it, after all." She forced a smile, and I closed my eyes at the sight. It hurt. The loss of the bracelet hurt her deeply. But, as she usually did, she pushed duty before her own self. And, given the reason why we were traveling, duty dictated… it dictated that we move on. "We should-" But life, like usual, had other plans.

"I'll find him!" Because just like that, Seth was _gone_. He took off running down the path and didn't look back once.

"Seth, wait!" Eirika tried to order. But, for once, Seth didn't listen at all. Before either of us could blink, he was out of sight. "It… it isn't that big of a deal." Yes, it was, sort of, but... "I'd rather we get to Ephraim sooner… I don't want sentimentality to get in the way of duty."

"But you did get it from King Fado," I reminded her. Not that I needed to, of course. I highly doubt she'd ever forget that. "Remember, Seth took the time to pack susinum perfume for me while Rosewatch was under assault." Now that I thought about it… didn't he cherish the items he inherited from his own dad? He knew the importance of keeping those items 'safe'. How precious the items from dead loved ones were. "It could also be those lingering traces of temper he used to have. He did used to bandit hunt regularly."

"I suppose…" she mumbled with a frown. I didn't blame her. Even though I had listed the possible reasons, none of them had felt 'right'. None of them felt like a reason why Seth would leave _immediately_. Well, except maybe the temper thing. "We should gather the others and go after him. We can't let him go alone."

This was all strange. Then again, that kind of described our entire situation nowadays. If you didn't want to use 'nightmare', at least.

* * *

We had to rely on Vanessa to find Seth because Seth had quite the headstart on us. Everyone was confused as to why Seth would react like this, but when we caught up, he wouldn't say. He simply kept on the trail until we were in the mountains. Where we were… well, there was a good attempt at an ambush. But Gilliam knocked out lone attacker out cold with a punch and that was when we made a couple of guesses/realizations. One) the attacker was a scout or watch guard. Two) because of this, the bandit hideout had to be near. Three) if we were right, then it seemed wrong to not try and cripple them (if not kill them). Something to buy a little bit of peace for the villagers.

"I'm still surprised by what we heard and what we've seen," Eirika murmured once we took a short break. It had been a good hike up the mountain, and if we were going to fight, we couldn't be winded. Besides, Vanessa had wanted to do an aerial patrol to confirm we were on the right trail. Franz volunteered for a ground one for similar reasons. "I've known bandits were a problem, but I've never heard of such…"

"Renaisi knights have always done their best to protect the citizens," Seth murmured, absently petting Tyr's neck. Tyr nuzzled him in return, like it knew something was wrong. "I won't say that there haven't been times we failed, mind." I knew what he spoke of. After all, I'd met Orson because of one of those 'failures'. Bandits had slaughtered Orson's parents, along with everyone they had been traveling with. Orson himself had only survived because Dad had saved him. He'd been home on leave, since I'd just been born, and someone alerted him to the noise just in time. "But we would always do everything we could to minimize the danger and damage."

"Yet now, it's…"

"Yes, it doesn't look like Grado has any intention of maintaining law and order here." Seth closed his eyes, his hands tightening on the reins. "If this continues, Renais will continue falling into savagery and ruin."

No one… no one could really say anything after that. It wasn't like we could disagree. We couldn't even really promise to make things better. We could hope, but… but that was it. I hated this. I hated this so much. I hated seeing so clearly how helpless and useless I was. Renais was dying, and all I could do, really, was watch. Just like with Monica, except it took hundreds of others with it to the grave. Hundreds of lives… hundreds of worlds… piece by piece, little by little… until all had been devoured...

All of us tensed at the sound of a branch breaking, but relaxed when we saw it was only Franz. ...At least, we thought it was only him. It soon became obvious that someone else was with him, a crying girl with short pink hair whose ankle was _badly_ swollen. It might've even been broken. "She approached while I was scouting," Franz explained, answering the unspoke question while helping the girl over to us. Moulder immediately had her sit on some nearby boulders so that he could look at her ankle. "She's asking for help. I couldn't…"

"No, you did the right thing, Franz," Eirika reassured. Franz smiled in relief. "But what's a girl doing up here?" Well, hopefully, she wasn't a 'plaything' that managed to escape?

"She mentioned something about a 'Colm', and the bandits and that's…" He winced, looking down at the still sobbing girl. "That's about all I got."

"I see." Eirika waited for Moulder to nod before walking over and kneeling in front of the girl. "I hate to ask, but can you start from the beginning, miss?"

"I… um..." the girl began. The words got caught up in the snot, though, and she choked, coughing. I went through my pack for a clean cloth and passed it to her. She took it with trembling hands. "Oh, thank you…" She covered her face for a moment, getting the worst of the tears off, and managed a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry…"

"No, don't be," Eirika reassured. She even made sure to smile. "So?"

"My name is Neimi. I'm from… well, I was from a village called 'Lark'." Lark… that was the village that had been razed. The one the headman told us about. "Lark is gone now, though. Colm and I are all that's left." Seems the villagers had been right about survivors, then. I wondered if we could tell them somehow. "Colm is my friend. We've known each other since we were little. And… and he said he was going to sneak into the bandit's camp to take back something they stole from my house."

"Alone?" Eirika's eyes widened. "That sounds… reckless." Worse than that. It sounded like something Ephraim would do.

"I told him that! I told him that it didn't matter! Certainly not worth risking his life for! But he wouldn't listen and he left and… and…" Neimi broke down in sobs again. This time she muffled them with the cloth. "I can't lose him… I _can't_! If I lost him, I… I…"

"Easy, easy… we'll help." Eirika paused and smiled sheepishly at everyone else. "If… if everyone else agrees? I fear I'm volunteering us for battle again…"

"For a good reason and cause," Garcia gently reminded her. He smiled softly, yet even with the softness, it was heavy with sadness. "Your father never could just walk away from a plea for help. Caused about half of the trouble we got into while he was still a prince. I'd be surprised if you could force yourself to walk away."

"Besides, it's another reason to bash the bandits' skulls in!" Ross added, scowling. Perhaps he thought it gave him a 'warrior look', but he reminded me more of an angry kitten. "Not that we needed more, but still!"

"Ross, calm yourself. You shouldn't work yourself into a lather, especially before the fighting has begun." Garcia ruffled Ross's hair and Ross smiled sheepishly. "I don't see why her goal doesn't align with the two we already have. Truly, the only potential problem we have is finding the place."

"Um… I know the way," Neimi revealed, smiling hesitantly. She curled into herself when we all focused on her. "I'm good at tracking. I'd hoped to catch him before he went in, but he's fast and..." She gestured at her ankle, which was _slowly_ looking like a 'normal' ankle. Moulder was still tending to the swelling. "I tripped." She looked at all of us entreatingly. "I'm also… not bad with a bow. My grandfather taught me. I've never… um… I've never fought before, but I can still help a little. I think."

"We do have some archery equipment among our things for hunting," Gilliam mused. He glanced at Eirika, hinting that she'd make the final call. Eirika immediately tensed at that, but tried to stay dignified. "Inexperience could be troubling, but it won't be much less than Ross. And I somehow doubt he'll stay behind." Ross immediately made a face, which got a chuckle from most of us. "But she is a civilian, and untrained. Hunting animals is not the same as hunting people. If she freezes…"

"And how are we supposed to know which person in there is her friend without her?" I found myself asking. I wasn't sure _why_. I didn't care either way. But the words were out of my mouth before I realized I'd even thought them. "Sure, we can go with a description, but will all of us remember it during the heat of battle? I'm assuming we're not sneaking in, unless we want to leave the mounts and clanking armor out here, so we'll probably be fighting almost as soon as we get in."

"A good point. We veterans might remember, but you, Ross, Franz, and Princess Eirika are too new to fighting." Gilliam pondered for the moment, and I noticed Neimi's jaw drop when she realized just who was here. But none of us could really comment or anything. "If you are to survive the fighting, you will have to focus everything on that. You do not have the skill to let your mind wander. And there is no guarantee that we will all be grouped together. In fact, staying in a large group would only be asking for trouble."

"Yeah, might as well attach a target to our heads with the words 'please aim right here'," Garcia agreed, scratching the back of his head. Eirika and I shared a little smile at the mental image. "I propose she comes with us, but also gives a description. That'll increase the chances of us not accidentally hurting the boy. She can arm herself while we check our supplies and weapons. Vanessa still hasn't returned, after all." That she hadn't. We had a lot to catch her up on, huh?

"...Thank you…" Neimi whispered. She smiled sweetly, though it wobbled a little. The glassiness in her eyes hinted it was because of unshed tears. "Thank you so much."

"Note that Moulder there holds the final decision. He's still fussing with your ankle, after all."

"Of course."

Well, here was to another day of murdering people. Even if they deserved it (and the law certainly said that they did), I felt sick.

* * *

Neimi hadn't been kidding when she said she knew the way. She led us right to the hideout without the slightest bit of hesitation, only pausing once or twice to study something on the ground that I couldn't make out, but apparently told her everything she needed to know. From there, we divided into three groups. Or, to be more specific, Neimi and I split off from the rest. Why? Well, Neimi was fairly certain that her friend wouldn't actually be fighting the bandits if it could be avoided. Meaning to maximize our chances of finding him, one group would have to try and stay _away_ from the fighting. Neimi, of course, would be one of that group. She was a civilian, had the least experience, _and_ knew the boy best. Why did I go with her? Garcia nominated me and the others agreed before I could think of a good protest.

"Thank you for this," Neimi whispered as we walked the halls. It had to be the twelfth time she had thanked us. "Truly, I…"

"Let's save the gratitude for when we actually find him," I replied, doing my best to keep polite. I wasn't sure what to do when people thanked me this much. Especially when I hadn't done anything to deserve it. It didn't help that I felt… I didn't even know what. It wasn't as if I wanted to fight. I was actually glad to be far away from it. But I didn't like that everyone else was in danger while I was relatively safe.

I wasn't sure why it bothered me so much. It wasn't as if I wasn't _used_ to things like this. I was the daughter of a knight, who eventually died in the line of duty. I was the 'sister' of a knight, who used to tag along with his hotheaded friend on adventures that always led to someone bleeding a lot and who had to back-up his feckless charge whenever said charge wanted the glory of battle. I had been safe in the capital when Rosewatch and the surrounding villages had been stricken with yellow fever. Victor, my childhood friend, was _constantly_ in danger due to traveling so much as a merchant. And if we were talking of more 'temporary' things, there was how Mom died. She left the safety of our shelter to rescue others who hadn't made it yet, and she had died for it.

All my life, those around me had placed themselves in danger for any number of reasons. To do what they loved. To protect what they loved. Because the alternative was too unbearable for them. Whatever it was. And sometimes, danger just came for you out of nowhere, because life was unpredictable and death would have His due. So, why did it bother me now? I wasn't sure. But it did. It irritated me. Though, maybe the irritation had been more that I'd been volunteered instead of me making the decision. And I could admit there were some good reasons for it to have been me. I was quieter than Ross. Franz couldn't sneak around with his horse. Eirika couldn't be wandering an unknown area without a proper guard. The 'veterans' of the group should all focus on the fighting. It made _sense_. It just… ugh… my head was spinning.

I shook my head to try and get my brain under control and focused forward even when Neimi looked at me curiously. Eventually, we came up on the end of a hall, and I saw a shadow shift just around the corner. Though I first froze, I quickly brought up my lance and made sure Neimi was firmly behind me. Archers often had difficulties in close-quarter-combat. I remembered Orson emphasizing that, when teaching me how to use a bow and arrow. So, if it turned into a fight, I'd have to keep whoever it was away from Neimi if she was to have a chance at fighting effectively. The thought made me sick, but I clenched my jaw and waited for whoever was there to round the corner. When I saw it was the blue boy who had stolen Eirika's bracelet, I prepared to lunge. If I ambushed, I might have a chance. Or, at least, a better chance.

"Colm!" But Neimi's happy gasp made me freeze for entirely different reasons. "Colm, there you are!" she continued, pushing past me to head to the boy. The blue boy who had… well, this could get awkward fast. Very fast. "Finally…"

"Neimi?!" the boy yelped, nearly dropping his pack. He managed to catch it before rushing over to meet her halfway. "The hell are you doing here?! I told you to wait for me!"

"It's too dangerous, so I couldn't…" She sniffled and rested her head on his shoulder. He immediately hugged her. "We should go home."

"What home?! Bazba destroyed it all, remember?" Despite the harsh tone, he held her tightly and I saw his hands shake slightly as he clung to her back. I supposed… thinking her in a relatively safe space… well, actually, leaving a young girl on her own when bandits were known to be about was kind of stupid. Well meaning, but stupid. "Idiot… I told you I'd be done in a flash, especially without a clumsy oaf like you tagging along."

"But…"

"Well, you're here now. So, don't leave my side, okay?" Colm let go of Neimi and pulled something out of his pack. It was covered with a cloth, but he unwrapped it to show her. "But here, look."

"Mother's mirror…" Neimi hesitantly traced the edges of the very beautiful, very expensive mirror. I was honestly surprised wasn't broken. "You really did find it…"

"I told you I would. See? Guaranteed results." He wrapped it up again and tucked it back into the pack. "Besides, it's one of the few things you've got left of her. That's important."

"You're more important, though." She leaned against him again. "So, no more dangerous things like this… please…"

"...Fine, fine. I promise." Colm looked away, embarrassed, and finally noticed that I was right there. "Er… huh?" He blinked a few times, his eyes darting to my hair. Remembering that I hadn't had my hood up when he stole Eirika's bracelet, I thought he might've recognized me. Or, at least, put some dots together. "You…"

"Unlike a certain surly and very blue boy, Neimi smartly got assistance before coming in," I explained, smiling as politely as I could. I wouldn't rake him over the coals in front of Neimi, at least. She had enough to deal with. "I'm Emma, a traveling companion of Princess Eirika. She's somewhere in here with Seth, or should be. There's a few others as well. We're a small group, but hopefully effective enough."

"They were kind enough to help me, even though they had their own goals," Neimi added, rubbing her eyes roughly. I found another clean cloth in my pack and handed it to her so that she could wipe her face. I had a feeling handkerchiefs were probably something she used a lot. "A-and they plan weakening the bandits, to make the area safer. So that there isn't another village that suffers like Lark did." Well, at least at the hands of these bandits. Unless Grado fixed things quick, more would fall. Still, we couldn't just leave. Even if it was a temporary solution, we had to… "We should… we should catch up to them."

"If you two need another moment or three, we can afford it."

"No, I want… I want to help. As much as I can."

"In that case, maybe Colm can help us? I'd rather not run into traps. Kind of surprised we haven't run into some already."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll walk into one in a moment."

Despite what Neimi said, we did have to wait a little bit for her to control her crying. But once that was done, Colm led the way and it didn't take long to find the others. For one thing, Colm had scouted most of the building to learn the layout and patrols before going after Neimi's mirror. For another, fighting was loud. Very loud. Even with the way things echoed, we could just follow the noise. I didn't much like how much of a free-for-all the battle was, though I could understand why. I may have only skimmed through Orson's tactical books, but even I knew there were too few of us for proper formations. So, even with keeping things as organized as we could… well, it would fall apart before long. Still, one thing was constant; Moulder was set up away from the fighting. Which meant that when we reached the large open room where the fighting was, I helped Neimi and Colm skirt along the edges to head for him.

"Ah, I see a new face," Moulder murmured, smiling warmly as soon as he saw the three of us approach. His robes were bloody and, surprisingly, there was blood splattered up his cheek and into his hair. "I take it you must be Colm? Come here, child, and let me check you over."

"Hmm? But I'm fi-" Colm attempted to protest. I promptly shoved him at Moulder. "Wah! What was that for?"

"Emma is simply thinking of your well-being and, of course, Neimi's." Moulder got Colm seated in front of him and grabbed his staff. I saw some blood dried on the gem, though the magic's glow made it flake off. "Did you run into any trouble, Emma?"

"No, like Neimi said, Colm made sure to be far from the fighting," I reported. I tapped my cheek when he glanced at me. "Looks like something happened with you all, though. Did someone take a bad injury or did someone just get a little too close?"

"Mostly the former," Moulder sighed, shaking his head. He set down his staff and rolled up Colm's shoulder to reveal a dirtied bandage. Colm winced at it, especially when Neimi gasped. Wondered if he got it here, or if he'd got it when Lark fell. "An archer managed to hit Vanessa and the resulting fall jerked the arrow out."

"Is she okay?"

"Thankfully, she was more annoyed than anything. She just happened to fall near me when the arrow went flying." Ah, and momentum slung the blood. "Emma, I will be busy with Colm for a time, but I'm sure Neimi can serve as a guard. Might you inform the others so that their attention is no longer divided?"

"I can certainly try?" Though I was a little dubious. Did he want me to go to everyone and tell them? ...Probably. "Let's see how successful I'll be. Hopefully, I won't get another arrow to the leg."

"Please don't."

It only took me half of a second to regret agreeing. Darting around the battlefield was rough, particularly when you had to be as fast as possible. If Vanessa hadn't been so damn far away, I would've told her first and had her fly around to deliver the message. But, unfortunately, she was on the other side of the room, so it was more efficient for me to go about and try to handle it myself. But gods, I definitely didn't like it. Not one bit. Particularly since I not only had to guard myself, but try not to distract whoever I was informing. Last thing we needed was to get someone killed because I played messenger. Still, I was able to inform Gilliam and Garcia, with Garcia promising to relay the information to Seth and Eirika so that I didn't have to cross the room twice. Instead, I tried to push through to where Ross was, even as I wondered why Ross was fighting off on his own…

"Well, well… lookie here." Something flashed above my head and I barely had enough time to jerk back before the axe swung down. While it missed me, it didn't miss my lance and, to my shock, it _snapped_ it in two. "Another child playing at war?" The wielder of the axe guffawed as my broken lance slipped from my hands. "I am the mighty Bazba, leader of this group," he boasted, bringing his axe back for another swing. I tried to think, but my mind was mush. "I hope you enjoyed your life, because it ends today!"

It didn't. It didn't, because before he could attack me again, Franz stabbed him in the arm (the unarmed one). I had no idea where Franz had come from, only that he was bleeding from a head wound and was unmounted. But he was there, glaring at Bazba and saving me. Though when Franz pulled back to attempt a second strike, Bazba snarled and swung his axe with enough force that Franz stumbled, knocked off-balance. That was when everything… it just cleared for me. What had been 'mush' was instead razor-sharp and reminded me that I had a weapon besides my lance. My fan was tucked into my belt, same as always.

Thinking quickly, so quickly that everything around me felt slow, I pulled the fan free and lurched forward to stab Bazba in the chest. Not deep enough to do significant damage, but enough to make him yell and jerk away from Franz. While he tried to recover, I ripped the fan out of the wound to unfurl it and swing it back around for a second strike. I got lucky; I caught him across the neck. A nice long slash that gushed blood, though I figured it wasn't fatal. It wasn't messy enough for me to have gotten anything truly important. Still, it was enough of a distraction to save Franz.

And it was enough of a distraction for Ross to slip behind and slam his axe into Bazba's neck, right where I'd already cut. This time, blood sprayed everywhere, and Bazba's corpse crumpled. I thought I saw him twitch a few times before growing still. Dead. I nudged the body to confirm and my stomach turned. Since I didn't want to throw up, especially right now, I looked around to see if anyone needed help. But by then, the fighting was calming, only a few left still alive. So, instead I absently used my fan to… well, fan myself. Nice, relatively cool air to try and keep me from throwing up. And it felt nice on my sweaty face.

"We did it!" Ross cheered, punching the air. Well, 'cheered'. He was definitely shaky and his complexion was more than a little gray under the splattered blood. But he did his best to keep up the grin as he slung his arms around Franz's shoulders and mine. "Wow, I can't believe that worked."

"No, no, this is where you're suppose to brag to the damsel that you so bravely saved," I teased, mostly to focus on something other than the body cooling at our feet. And to keep from thinking on that, I decided to fan Ross and Franz. They were sweatier than me, and breathing harder. "My dear knights in shining armor! I am ever so grateful."

"I think we more bought you time to save yourself, but hey, I'll take the praise!" Ross grinned, and then laughed when he noticed Franz just blushing in response. "You don't take compliments well, do you, Franz?"

"I don't think he ever has. He'd turn as red as an overripe tomato whenever Monica praised him."

"Wait, so even redder than this?"

It was probably mean of us, but Ross and I ended up teaming up to try and make Franz turn as red as possible. We got pretty far before Vanessa rescued him, dragging Franz and Ross to the back to be checked over. I debated following, but decided against it for the time being and just fanned myself for a while. Steady my nerves a little more. That sort of thing. Eventually, I saw Neimi and Colm standing against the wall far away from Moulder, no doubt to clear up room so that Moulder could tend to everyone. However, I noticed Seth frown (no doubt from realizing Colm was the thief we'd been tracking) and stalk over, fully intent on getting Eirika's bracelet back. But after everything… well, the last thing we needed was a scene. So, I thought quickly and came up with an idea. An idea that, hopefully, Colm would go along with.

"Hey, Colm?" I called, snapping my fan shut and jogging over to him. I purposely made sure to get in Seth's way, though I hid it by purposely 'unbalancing' myself slightly while tucking the fan back in my belt. "Whoa! Okay, that was fun." I smiled at them both. Neimi returned it, though Colm just raised a brow. "Anyway, sorry, but I just thought of this. You went looking through their… oh, what would you call it?"

"Not a clue, but yeah, I did," Colm replied. He frowned, noticeably wary, and his gaze went to my hair again. I was right. He _had_ recognized me. "Why?"

"Did you happen to find some bracelets? A thief stole Princess Eirika's and it was a gift from King Fado. With King Fado dead, it's… it's one of the few things she has left." I looked Colm right in the eye while I asked and subtly nodded to Seth behind me. Then I nodded at Neimi.

Thankfully, he caught my meaning. "There were a few. I think I grabbed one or two. Let's see." He set down his pack and made a show of rummaging through. Carefully, so that Neimi couldn't see, he snuck the bracelet from his pocket into the bag before 'pulling it out'. "What about this one?"

"That's it!" I took it from him with a smile. "Thank you so much!"

"Meh… I just grabbed it because I thought it might be a nice gift for Neimi." Colm looked away, embarrassed. Neimi immediately flushed, but smiled. "Glad to be of help, though. I guess." And none of us would say the truth. It was our secret.

I simply smiled and walked away, leaving him and Neimi to themselves. I made sure to catch Seth's eye and when I was sure I had it, I winked and held up the bracelet. After a moment, he smiled slightly and nodded, turning away to handle whatever else had to be done. I, however, hunted for Eirika and when I found her leaning against the opposite wall, I immediately joined her and slipped the bracelet on her wrist. Where it belonged.

"Oh, thank goodness…" she whispered, smiling in relief. She gently caressed the blue gem while I fussed over the clasp. "Um… I noticed Colm looks like… well…"

"I gave him an out," I explained and confirmed at the same time. Her smile grew in both warmth and relief. Somehow. "Figured you'd prefer that. And last thing Neimi needs right now is Colm getting yelled at by the famous Silver Knight." Or… ah… worse.

"You know me well. I quite agree." She watched me fuss. "Is the clasp broken?"

"No, but the bracelet is definitely loose." I frowned over what to do for a moment before realizing the obvious. I undid Grandpapa James's bracelet, pushed her gem-bracelet up a little, and then put the charm bracelet back on. Since the charm bracelet had links, it was easier to adjust, but its size also kept the gem-bracelet from slipping off easily. "There we go. That should help."

"...That seems almost too obvious of a solution." Eirika laughed though, and I smiled. "You okay? You've got blood on you."

"I wasn't in the fighting all that long, so I think I'm just sore. But when things calm down around Moulder, I'll get checked. How about you?"

"I've already been cleared." She made a face. "I was dizzy once the fighting died down, so Seth insisted."

"As would I! And don't act like you wouldn't insist on the same if Seth or I was the one who was dizzy." I pretended to be stern for a second and she sulked for just as long. If this had been a year ago, both of us would've burst into giggles. Now, we were both too tired and worn for that. Instead, we shared a smile and leaned against the wall to ease the ache in our feet. At least, we did until Colm approached. Then both of us pushed off the wall to stand up straight. She felt she had to; I wasn't going to let her endure alone.

"Sorry to bother, Princess Eirika, but…" Colm began quietly. He paused, like he was uncertain, but Eirika smiled to encourage him. "Do you mind if Neimi and I travel with you?"

"With us?" Eirika repeated, startled. Couldn't blame her for that one. "I… we're heading somewhere dangerous."

"Wow, really? That sounds like everywhere." Also couldn't blame Colm for the sarcasm on that one. "And… Neimi and I have nowhere to go."

"The nearby villages…?"

"They'd take us in, of course. But between Grado's soldiers and Bazba's raids, resources are few." Which we knew. We'd seen that. "Absolute worst thing for Neimi right now is feeling like she's a burden." I almost commented on his insults, but Eirika quickly pinched my arm to stop me from saying anything. "And honestly? Safest place right now might actually be with you all."

"He does have a point there," I murmured, ducking my head near Eirika's so that I could talk quietly. She frowned at me, but I shook my head. "Remember, there are no knights. No soldiers. Anyone in the army who could fight went to the border to try and slow Grado's advance. We're probably…" We were probably the only armed force within three day's travel. Hell, maybe even five. "Sadly, dealing with the bandits is only a temporary solution. One that buys time, but..."

"I hate that you're right about that," Eirika mumbled, clenching her fist. She hid it by bringing up to her chest and covering it with her other hand. Like she was praying. "The world truly has gone mad." She closed her eyes briefly to gather herself and then looked back to Colm, who waited patiently. "Sorry, Emma was reminding me that nothing is normal anymore to cut off my instinctual protest."

"What are you talking about? Seth being the safest place to be around is perfectly normal." I had to joke to lighten the mood. It got a little smile out of her.

Colm made a face, though, probably remembering of how close he'd gotten to 'not being safe' because of Seth. "Anyway, I'm a handy guy to have around as well," he said, drawing the conversation back to the original topic. "I snuck in here without them knowing, after all." He did. And, even if you took into account how we had distracted the bandits, he still had mapped everything out. "Oh, right, speaking of the sneaking, there's still a lot of gold and whatnot in their vaults or whatever they're called." He gestured vaguely behind him. "Might be good to take some?"

"Oh, we can also give some to the nearby villages!" Eirika exclaimed, her expression lighting up immediately. It dimmed just as quickly. "I know it won't fix things, but…"

"Hey, money buys things. I'm sure there's merchants making a killing right now." That was true. I wondered how Victor was doing… "I can lead people down, but carrying will be hard. I'm fast, not strong."

"That's fine. We probably need to rest and recover anyway." Eirika smiled kindly. "Ah, I almost forgot. Yes, you and Nemi can come with us. If you're sure, that is."

"Like I said, you're probably the safest place right now." He shrugged. "But it's a pleasure working with you, your highness."

"Likewise." She watched him leave, no doubt to see who was able enough to assist, before sighing and leaning against the wall again. "I wonder if they have any spare weapons? We've been tending to ours carefully, but…" She glanced at me. "I heard Franz mention that you needed a new one?"

"Yeah, I do," I sighed, irritated. She muffled a little laugh, apparently amused. I supposed Franz didn't mention why that was. Or she was tired enough that everything was funny. "And, cleary, more training fighting against axes. Damn it. I can feel my muscles aching already."

"That might just be the battle."

"Nope, it's definitely an echo of pain from the future."

"Silly."

At least the area here would be safer for now. But, inevitably, more bandits would rise. I hated that we couldn't do more.

* * *

I wasn't quite sure how we ended up in the ruins of Lark. Maybe Colm and Neimi requested it? Maybe it was coincidence? I wasn't sure. All I really knew was that after we rested for the night (camping outside the hideout), we gathered our things, gathered treasure to distribute or keep depending (like my new lance), and just… ended up there. It was as wrecked as the other ruined villages. The only difference was that the dead had already been buried. Or most of them. Some were still stuck in the rubble, but it… it wasn't difficult to move things and give them a proper burial. With… with names on the markers, because even with the rot and broken bits, Colm and Neimi recognized most of them. The ones already buried… we debated digging them up briefly for identification, but Colm and Neimi ultimately decided against it. The ones they had seen already… that had been too much.

"Thank you for coming with me," Neimi mumbled, pushing aside a branch to keep it from whacking me in the head. I simply shrugged off her thanks, since… what else was I supposed to do? Have her gather flowers alone? "I really appreciate… well, everything that everyone is doing." And she did mean everyone.

Colm helped Franz with the markers, including one that would have the names of everyone else in the village, the ones already buried. At his and Neimi's insistence, Seth and Gilliam were scavenging for anything usable. Garcia and Ross cleared rubble to make sure there were no other bodies trapped underneath. Vanessa and Eirika dug graves for the new ones, and fixed up the old. Moulder prayed, giving them a proper funeral. Well, proper for Frelia and Renais. Both countries believed that unless one said a prayer for the dead, Death wouldn't know to come for their souls and they'd be left lingering. From what I understood, Grado and Rausten were somewhat similar, but I didn't really know the details. I knew from Victor that Carcino required memorials, but not necessarily funerals. From what Mom said, Jehanna just had to have the bodies covered, probably because of how many died in battles.

"Emma?" Neimi's gentle voice called me from my thoughts. A good thing since I nearly walked into a damn branch. "What are you thinking about?" she asked. She almost dropped the shirt we had turned into a makeshift basket, but I caught it before we lost a single petal, much less a blossom.

"Hmm? Ah, differences between countries and their funeral practices?" I answered. Morbid as all hell, but I wondered something then. Did anyone say funeral prayers for Grandpapa James? I hadn't thought much about it before, since I liked the simplicity of Jehanna's way and just wanted the body buried. But with all the burials, I couldn't help but wonder… and wonder if the differences between what each person believed would affect… "And getting my thoughts twisted about."

"I know the feeling…" She smiled thinly, and I could only offer a wan one in return. "I suppose we should… oh, that tree…" She suddenly stopped walking, staring at a tree with large roots curled up and about. In kinder times, it looked like a good place to sit with a book. "That's where we hid."

"Hmm?"

"Colm and I. We hadn't been in Lark when the bandits came. I'd been hunting, and Colm was with me to gather berries and wild vegetables. We weren't there. We only knew something was wrong when the screams…"

"Neimi…" I winced, thinking of how painful that had to have been. Then I shied away from the pain.

"We wanted to help, but we knew… we knew we couldn't." Neimi closed her eyes and muffled a sob. "So, we hid. We hid in the shadows of that tree." She gestured vaguely towards it. "We could smell the smoke, hear the screams… and we had to keep still because we knew we'd die otherwise." She curled into herself and I immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders to support her. "I hate it. I hate it so much..."

"I understand." Neimi and Colm… they faced what I would've if Seth hadn't been at Rosewatch. If it had just been me, then… well, I probably would've gone. But I would've die. I knew that. "You and Colm protected the only ones you knew you could keep safe. Each other."

"More like him keeping me safe, but yes." The 'guaranteed' instead of the 'theoretical'. There was nothing wrong with that decision, though I could understand the guilt. It wasn't an 'easy choice'. "When it all got quiet, we snuck back. We snuck back, and everyone was…"

"Right…"

"So… um… thank you." She looked at me with a smile, even though tears streamed down her face. "For letting Colm and me come with you. We have nowhere to go. And everywhere is dangerous nowadays. So I'm glad to be traveling with such nice people."

"I'm not sure I'm the one you should be thanking, but it's not like we could just leave you alone in the mountains." I smiled at her and I knew it was a little stiff. But… but it did feel more natural than the smile I'd worn when Victor left Rosewatch. "You'll probably have to help with the chores, though."

"Oh, that's fine. I'm… a bit of a klutz, but I can do some things. Like laundry and cooking."

"You cook?" That wasn't a surprise, but… "Mine. I claim you." I slipped my arm around hers and actually got a laugh out of her. It was watery, but surprisingly bright. "Colm can deal. I'm currently the only one who cooks in the group. While it's nice to not have to handle things like latrine digging and all, cooking for this many people isn't exactly a one person job."

"Then I'll gladly help."

We hunted for flowers a little longer, mostly so that Neimi had time to calm down and we could easily clean her face. Then we returned to the ruins and laid the flowers on the graves. First the old ones, and then the new. Though it would've been nice to give them lots of flowers, we only had enough for one or two on each. I was glad we even had that much. There were just so many dead… Adults, children… you could take guesses just based on the size of the graves. I wondered what had happened to any pets that would've been around. Did they run? Were they dead and buried? Had they been left alone and become a carrion eater's meal? Not really something I wanted to dwell on.

After all, it wasn't as if we could linger. The sun was setting, and we had to find a good place to camp for the night. So, as soon as Moulder was done with the prayers, as soon as all the graves were dug and the markers set… we left. We left, one dragging step at a time, to continue on our journey. Almost everyone walked without looking back. But Eirika… she looked back. Just once, when we had reached the top of the nearby hill, she stopped and looked back at what was left of Lark. Looked back at the ruins slowly disappearing into the shadows of the sunset. I waited with her, not wanting her to be alone.

"Princess Eirika." Sadly, though, there really wasn't time. At least Seth sounded gentle when he fell back to get us. "We have to leave," he reminded softly. "It'll be dark soon."

"Let me look just a little longer, Seth," Eirika whispered, not even glancing at him. The wind gusted and she brushed her hair out of her face. The charms on Grandpapa James's bracelet swung with the movement. "I want to burn this into my memory. It's a reminder of what will happen if I fail to keep my promise." She tucked her hair behind her ear, still looking at the ruins. "This is just the beginning, isn't it? If I am to keep my promise, it will take battle after battle."

"I am afraid so, Princess Eirika." Seth smiled sadly. I knew that if he could, he'd keep her far away from battle. But this was what Eirika had chose. "The day will come, though. At the end of a long and treacherous road, yes. But it will come."

"Yes, it will. In the names of all those I could not save… in the names of all those I will not be able to save… I will lead us home."

She turned away then, marching quickly to catch up with the rest. Seth, of course, followed her. I lingered a moment longer, staring at the ruins and thinking of just how many more villages had suffered this fate. Far too many, of course. And the worst was yet to come. I could only hope… I didn't even know what to hope for anymore. All I could do was try to remember, and try not to fall behind the others. It wasn't like the dead could come back, after all.

* * *

_Gilliam_

_Captain of the East Watch and one of King Hayden's most trusted soldiers, his stoic nature fits well with his preferred job of protecting his allies. He's always analyzing the situation around him, focused on the best course of action, and rarely makes snap decisions unless someone's life is on the line._

_Though his heavy armor restricts his speed and movement, his defenses and strength are unparalleled. While he'll never be one to clear the battlefield or be the glorious hero, he'll be the one to guard and protect the injured, which suits him fine._

_Old friends with Moulder and Syrene, and he's easily the most relaxed in their company. Both are also very capable of flustering him, doing so with such ease that many wonder if the stoicness is simply a mask. In truth, though, it is simply a sign of how close he is to them, and they to him._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: Insert obligatory archer, thief, and support tutorials, all in one convenient chapter. You never visit Lark in-game, but I thought it might be a nice. I don't think the game explains how Neimi and Colm survived either, so I made up something. Moulder's little rant/ramble is based off of something I've overheard some nurses complain about.
> 
> 'Packing a wound' is basically keeping it from closing over via carefully stuffing it with sterile gauze (or something similar) and then using a plaster to cover the wound opening to keep it clean. It's done sometimes with infected wounds and deep wounds (like abscesses) to allow the wound to actually heal properly (inside to outside) and minimize the chances of sepsis. Which is very bad. Like… multi-organ-failure bad. (This is why if you're working in the micro section of the hospital lab, and one of your blood cultures beeps positive, it's a 'call in immediately' situation!)


	6. Chapter 4) Ancient Horrors

Chapter 4) Ancient Horrors

* * *

_Renais has more than 'fallen'. It's outright shattered. Bandits running amuck, villages annihilated… and we're not even near the front yet. Not near where death and destruction were expected. Though, maybe those areas were at least… cleaned? The bodies buried? Buried in the middle of nowhere, probably… far, far from their homes where their loved ones may or may not visit…_

_...I'm tired._

* * *

"So, I was thinking for tonight we could try to saute those mushrooms we found earlier?" Neimi suggested, her eyes shining with excitement. I was glad, since earlier this morning, they'd been 'shining' with tears. Vanessa said she'd had a nightmare about Lark again, and she'd be the one to know. She and Neimi shared a tent, after all. "Oh, wait… I don't think we have any butter or oil…"

"I remember hearing that small amounts of water or broth can be substituted?" I mused, trying to also remember if that bit of knowledge had been from a reputable source or not. Sadly, I couldn't figure it out. "Maybe we'll experiment tonight and if it works, we'll do that for tomorrow? We can use some broth tonight for a sauce." We'd used the last of our current stock for the soup earlier today.

"Hmm… yeah, that's probably the best idea. Oh, right!" She beamed suddenly. "Colm managed to snag some honey from that beehive we passed earlier. We should take advantage of that!"

"I'm strangely unsurprised." Mostly because I knew Colm had been actively hunting for a hives as we'd been walking and, thanks to some earlier prodding, I even knew why. Neimi loved honey-flavored snacks. Kind of wished he'd stop being so sharp-tongued around her, but little things like that showed he did really care for her. "In that case, I insist on showing you how to make Jehannan honey cakes. And how you can bribe Seth with them."

"Do we have all the ingredients?"

"For the Jehannan version, we do actually. Not the Renaisi, though."

"Oh, yay! Ah, switching back to the sauce, though, there's actually this sweet-berry sauce we could make that goes good with most types of meat! We use a bit of honey with it and..."

Such conversations had become part of my normal walking routine ever since Neimi and Colm joined us. Mostly because no one in the group even pretended to be subtle when Neimi said she could cook and Colm didn't make any sort of barbed compliment when he agreed. They'd just assigned her cooking duties alongside me, and the two of us did our best to pool together our recipes to get some sort of variety for the meals. There had to be a lot of substitution, which… well, we did 'experiments' for that reason. We couldn't waste food for things that wouldn't taste good, after all.

"Can you two at least keep it down when you're talking food?" Colm complained, joining us. He passed Neimi a small bundle of… whatever he'd foraged. Looked like some wild onions, which I would just leave to Neimi. Surprisingly, chopping onions didn't make her tear up. "At the rate Ross's stomach is grumbling, we're going to get ambushed by some soldiers."

"Well, he's still growing?" Neimi gently teased, muffling a laugh. I tried to think if that was actually true or not and decided that it might be. Franz still had some growing to do, and he was a year older. "Must you single him out though, Colm? He can't be the only one hungry. It's been a few hours since we ate, right?"

"He's the easiest to tease with that sort of thing." He had a bit of a point there. Ross tended to sputter and protest. "And it has been a bit, so how are you doing? You're klutzy enough without your feet hurting. Surprised you haven't sprained anything yet."

"Emma keeps me safe." Neimi grinned and tucked the bundle of onions into her pack, carefully wrapping it in… something I couldn't quite see. "My feet do hurt, but it's nothing bad. All that hiking we did growing up is certainly paying off."

"Right…" Colm frowned, but nodded. "I'm back to ground-scouting. Please don't trip and break something while I'm gone."

"I'll try." Neimi giggled and Colm rolled his eyes before departing. "Lots of ground-scouting…"

"Well, Vanessa can't fly very well through the woods," I pointed out. I glanced around at the others in the group, wondering how they were holding up. Ross and Franz were walking beside each other, chatting animatedly about something (training tales, from the bits I overheard). Not far from them, Eirika was laughing at some story Garcia was telling her about King Fado when he was young (something Garcia volunteered to do when he saw the remnants of her nightmare-caused-tears this morning). Gilliam and Seth were discussing something quietly behind us, taking up the rear guard, while Vanessa and Moulder took point. Or, rather, Vanessa took point and Moulder gently kept her from fidgeting since she was on the ground for once. "So, we have to rely on sneaky-sneaks for ground patrols."

"That's true," Neimi murmured. Noticing her worry, I offered her my hand and she took it gladly. I wasn't surprised she was worried; neither she nor Colm could go very long without seeing each other unless they were focused on something. Probably a reassurance that they really had survived. "Why are we going through the woods again?"

"While the woods are fairly populated and have known paths, you can't exactly march an army through easily." So, in theory, it would provide ample cover until we made it closer to Serafew. And from there… well, from there, we would be firmly in 'enemy territory', instead of simply 'conquered areas'. Meaning there was no real 'plan' until we actually arrived. "Plus, the woods have better foraging."

"Particularly when we're this deep." Neimi nodded and… almost tripped over a root. She managed to skip instead and I helped her stay balanced. "Makes sense." She smiled before gasping and pointing above us. "Oh, look! Those fruits look fresh!"

"That they do." And I was glad Neimi had good sight and a habit for looking at everything around her. Because we would've missed them otherwise. "They'll probably be a good afternoon snack for the growing little boys of our group if they're edible." I let go of her hand and swung up to climb up the tree. "Moulder! Think you can identify these for us?"

Moulder did identify the fruit, as something not only perfectly edible but perfectly tasty as well. So, I gathered enough for us to munch on as we walked, and a few more to store for 'proper' meal times. Of course, the fruits (whatever they were) were very juicy and, therefore, messy. Meaning it wasn't long before all of us were actually laughing at the mess we were making. Not a single one of us could eat them with any sort of dignity. Seth made the best effort, via actually finding a handkerchief to use, but even he ended up messy. Amusingly, a couple like Moulder and Vanessa didn't even bother trying to be neat. It made for some teasing and continued laughter, just what we needed after a long morning march.

Should've known the fun times would end quickly. And, of course, it ended because of bodies. The smell alerted us first. Rotting decay that made you gag and dry heave (if not outright throw up), and it didn't 'waft' towards us. No, it fell on us like a landslide, dropped by the wind that had grown stagnant from the weight of it all. We staggered under it, but kept going. No more laughter, no more talking. Just a silence as heavy as the stench, and as sharp as the glints of light at the end of the path. Glints that became brighter and sharper with each step, warnings to stay away. And yet, we kept walking. We kept on walking until we stepped out of the shadows of the trees and into bright, glittering sunlight…

At one point, this might've been a beautiful meadow. Or grove or… whatever the word was. A place with bright green grass and fragrant flowers nestled amidst the trees. Now, though, the bits of grass that seen amongst the bodies were a flattened rust-brown, and there were no flowers in sight. They'd all been crushed into the mud, by the battle that took place here. Or, rather, the massacre, given the number of dead. The entire area was filled with broken bodies, shattered armor, and scattered weapons. On the ground, trampled. Pinned to trees. Just… filled. Whatever life had been here had been swallowed up by the dead, leaving only this silent testament to their agonizing last seconds of life...

In the middle of it all, a single flag fluttered weakly. The shaft of its pole had snapped, but surprisingly, it still stood tall enough to catch the wind. The blood and muck had stained it, and the sun had bleached parts of it, but still, you could see it had once been blue. Despite the holes from weapons, burns and char from magic, you could still see the Renaisi White Wings. And, underneath those wings, in faded and fraying but still legible embroidery, it proclaimed just who the dead had been: ' _Seventeenth Infantry Regiment'._

The words froze me. Froze my breath, froze my heart. Because… because I knew that regiment. I knew it very well. Affectionately nicknamed the 'Lucky Bastards' among the army due to being stationed near Serafew and how peaceful the border between Grado and Renais used to be… it was Daniel's regiment. It was _Daniel's_ regiment…!

Immediately, without even thinking about it, I lurched forward and began looking through the dead. Looking at the rotted remains of their faces to try and discern any recognizable features amidst the maggots. Rummaging through the filth-encrusted and insect-ridden packs for pictures or journals or letters. Anything at all that could be used to identify the corpses strewn about. Anything to see if Daniel was among them.

I recognized a lot of the dead, thanks to rifling through everything and finding names. Some were by name alone, from Daniel's stories and letters. Others were by what remained of their faces, from the sketches Daniel would send. Arnold, for instance, was a bright-eyed young man who joined at the same time Daneil did and used the most creative not-curses to avoid actually cursing; half of his head was charred off now. Elizabeth was one of the few women in the Renaisi army, and always wore a ribbon in her hair that her brother made for her; the ribbon was now so saturated with blood that it was impossible to tell the original color, though I supposed she couldn't complain since she'd been cut in half. Samuel, the third son of a baron who opted for the army instead of knighthood, had been a known flirt, but was always the first to leap to anyone's defense; there'd be a lot of broken hearts now that his own had been skewered.

All of those little stories whirled through my head as I checked each body. Each and every one. Wondering who was missing. Wondering why they were missing. Alive? Dead before this massacre? Dead after? Dead at Serafew? Dead and body dragged off by wild animals? Or could I just not recognize them? The corpses were rotted, after all. Bloatedness warped some features. So did the ruptures in sagging skin. Worms and maggots squirming through. Rips and tears from where something had bitten through for the bone and marrow.

I wasn't sure who the last one I checked was. They weren't Daniel, or I hoped they weren't. I didn't find a charm bracelet, or the remnants of one, nor did I see the scar across his neck from a childhood prank gone _real_ wrong. I hadn't been involved, so I didn't really know what all happened, but almost led to Daniel dying via hanging and the scar remained as testament to how deadly pranks could be if you weren't careful. The person I checked had a surprisingly intact neck with no scars, just the mottled remains of skin. Their skull, however, was caved in. Caved in to the point that one eye socket had collapsed. No sign of the eye at all. Covered? Smashed into a pulp? Pecked out by a carrion bird? Hard to say, and I supposed it didn't really matter. Because it wasn't there and the person was a little too dead to worry it.

I returned my attention to their wrist, loosely holding their hand as I checked for any sort of sign that this person had worn a bracelet. Just to be sure. Just to be sure that this wasn't Daniel, and Emilia wasn't hoping in vain. Probably shouldn't, considering how many people died around me. But I had to check anyway. Be certain. Even if I was so tired and scared that I imagined the person was twitching…

All at once, the hand I held twisted and latched onto me. Blunt, chipped, and blackened nails dug into my wrist. Slowly, the head rose, bones grinding and popping with the movement. Thin, dried lips twisted into a snarl as the very-dead-body slowly pushed itself up. Their free hand lifted and a strange mist wrapped around their fingers. No, not fingers… claws. Razor sharp claws where bone should've been, rotten flesh sloughing off.

I stared, frozen, not able to comprehend what I was seeing. Surely this was some strange dream, or nightmare. One of the more typical ones that didn't make sense. But their clawed hand 'caressed' my cheek, claws digging in, and the pain was enough to tell me this was very real. The pain and the warm blood trickling down as the claws got closer and closer to my eye…

"Emma!" Distantly, I heard Eirika calling for me. "Emm… ack! Ugh, I thought I had stepped around that one…" Stepped around…? That meant she was probably walking… through… when there were dead… "Emma!"

The ice in my blood melted. The fog in my head cleared. I groped for some sort of weapon and snagged the shards of some sort of blade. The metal bit deep in my palm, but I still held it tightly before shoving it into the dead thing's arm. It barely reacted, but the blow did snap the arm and ripped the claws from my cheek. Briefly, I wondered why it had broken so easily, but then I saw it had already been hallowed out. Probably by a wild animal long before we'd gotten here. Lucky me… except the thing was _still moving, damn it!_

"Emma?!" Eirika yelped somewhere behind me. I scrambled to my feet and nearly fell when the corpse latched onto my ankle. Automatically, I stomped on their arm, but it did nothing. Not getting lucky a second time, clearly… "Emma, why in the world are you… wait, why are you bleeding?!" I really wished I had the time to answer her, but I had a particularly clingy dead person trying to bite my leg! "Seth!"

Like the knight in shining armor that he was, Seth quickly swooped in and slashed the corpse's arm in half to free me. Which should've been the end of that little problem, except the bodyless arm still clutched and clawed at my ankle, digging in deep enough to make me bleed. It didn't loosen its grip for one measly second… not until Seth managed to slam his lance into the corpse's skull and shatter it into pieces. But there was no time to sigh in relief, because the other dead were twitching and contorting and slowly rising to their feet…

"Princess Eirika, I recommend that we regroup and escape into the trees," Seth advised calmly, as if the dead rose every day. But I could tell by how tightly he held his weapon and the slight widening of his eyes… he was terrified. He was as terrified as the rest of us. "Now."

Well, life just decided to add the traditional type of horror to everything now, huh?

* * *

We barely made it into the woods before we were ambushed and separated. Because of course we were separated. Why _wouldn't_ we be separated? I supposed I should be grateful that I'd at least gotten basic treatment and my lance prior to the ambush. And that I wasn't alone. Vanessa and I had somehow managed to head in the same direction, and now, we blundered about the roots and branches and brush and whatever else was in the woods. With Vanessa being silent because she was always quiet. And I certainly didn't know how to start a conversation with her. Now that I thought about it… did I know _anything_ that she liked? She never showed preferences for food, and the only thing she ever seemed to do was… well, scout. Scout, eat, and sleep.

While we walked and tried to find the others, I struggled for some sort of topic because the silence was just overwhelming. Made me twitchy especially since we had _the dead_ attacking us from nowhere. As such, I really didn't pay attention to my footing and so when I stepped on a root that was far more slippery than a hunk of wood had any right to be, I fell. I fell, flailing about as I tried and failed to catch my balance. Vanessa, being a sweetheart, immediately tried to catch me, but thanks to the angle and flailing, it was more that we both fell, with me nearly giving her a black eye in the mess because of course.

"Ugh… sorry…" I mumbled, getting off her as soon as I could. When I was sure of my balance, I pulled her up as well. Her pegasus fluffed out its wings and stamped its foot in irritation. "Didn't think a root would-" A surprisingly loud _hiss_ startled me, and I whirled to try and figure out what it was. It wasn't until Vanessa's pegasus stomped again that I realized her irritation was… was at a snake. A very large snake that I was… actually, I was fairly certain was venomous (based on what bits I could see) and it blended in far too well with the undergrowth. In fact, after it ducked down, I only knew that it had disappeared when Vanessa's pegasus calmed down.

"Thank you, Titania," Vanessa murmured, carefully walking over to her pegasus to stroke her neck to calm her. Her pegasus responded by shifting one of her wings around Vanessa, almost like a hug. "That… was a…"

"I didn't get a good look, but I have heard that pilami snakes are notorious around here." It was mostly just from Daniel's letters, though, since the Za'ha Woods went all the way up to Serafew. They were a mottled brown not unlike the color of decaying leaves, and they favored the shadows of roots and other plants for rest. And they were easily the most venomous snakes in Renais, though they were thankfully relatively docile. But without some sort of healing, you were easily losing the limb if it bit you. If not your life. "So…"

"Ha… then I think I should be thanking you for the fall, since I would've stepped on it otherwise." That… huh. She was probably right, given where Titania had been. "Syrene told me about 'Jehannan luck', but I have to say that I didn't quite believe her until now."

"Haha…" I didn't even know how to respond to that. "Surprised your pegasus didn't freak out at the snake. I know many horses would."

"Pegasi are immune to most poisons, so snakes just annoy them." That was interesting. Wondered how they got that little adaptation. "Titania in particular doesn't like them, though. She doesn't like worms either." Vanessa smiled a little. "I think she just doesn't like wriggly, squirming things."

"She'd get along _great_ with a few noblewoman I've been acquainted with over the years." And I couldn't think of anything else to say. So, we went back to silence as we continued on our little hunt. Or, well, so I thought.

"I heard what happened to your sister." That… that wasn't the typical conversation starter. Re-starter, rather. Especially in these circumstances. "I'm sorry for your loss. I don't know what I would do if I lost Syrene…" She smiled a little sheepishly. "I have been meaning to… well, I suppose express my sympathy. But it's not really a happy conversation subject. But the silence is driving me crazy."

"It is, huh?" I wouldn't have guessed. "Me too. I've been trying to come up with a topic as well."

"Yes, though I'm not all that great at talking." She shrugged, looking away almost like she was embarrassed. "I never know what to say. Thankfully, most of our group is more than willing to be loud."

"That's an understatement." But it was nice they kept their energy. "I'm surprised you heard about Monica, though."

"Moulder talked to Sir Seth, worried about how melancholic you could be." He had? "I also caught Franz mentioning a 'Monica' while he talked to Sir Seth, but quickly cut himself off and look guiltily at you, even though you were busy." Oh, Franz… "It was fairly easy to figure out, from there."

"I imagine so." Not sure… what else to say to that. "She died six months ago. Illness." That was the easiest way to explain it. "Probably a bit of a good thing. She would've been stuck in Ivroria when it fell." Or in Rosewatch when it… though, would Rosewatch had burned if I hadn't selfishly returned after...? "Her health was always poor, but she was always bright and cheerful. Mom died when I was fairly young, so she and Orson kind of raised me." I had joked a few times that I'd been a great way to practice for their own kids. Now, though…

"So, I take she hadn't been a lady-in-waiting like you are." 'Was'. Like I 'was'. I left, like a coward. "Bit different with Syrene and me, then. She's my role model, the goal I aspire to. I became a pegasus knight because of her."

"Nah, I would never say Monica was my 'role model'." Did I love and respect her? Oh, absolutely. But I'd always known my path in life would be different from hers. She'd known it too. That was why the time we spent together had been all the more precious. And our paths did diverge, meeting again where and when we could, before… well, before death stopped her path cold. And now I was the one left walking, just as always. "So…" I trailed off as something rustled in the bushes up ahead. "Willing to bet that's not an animal."

"I doubt we'd be that lucky." Not two seconds later, a couple of skeletons burst from the shrubbery to try and attack us. _Hilariously_ , they were as coordinated as I was when it came to roots: not at all. The first ones actually tripped and fell on their… wait, would you say that a skeleton had a 'face'? I supposed so, but… "Oh joy. At least these ones smell better." Gods above, I'd kill to be as calm as Vanessa sounded.

But there wasn't much time for regrets. After all, skeletons felt no pain and so the tripping didn't do anything but delay them. And, like their corpse-fellows… the separate parts didn't stop moving even when you knocked them off. You had to specifically destroy the skull in order to keep the things from clawing into you, or attempting to hack your foot off when they were just arm-bones holding a weapon. It made no sense to me, really. But, then again, magic and creepiness. What was creepier than an enemy you had to target a specific point on in order to destroy?

"Emma!" The last of the skeletons had fallen when I heard Vanessa's shout. It was all the warning I had before her Titania _freaking tackled me_! Full on tackle at that, with far more speed than I'd expect a pegasus to have while in the woods. "Emma, you okay?" she asked, helping me up. I wanted to answer her, but all I could do was cough and spit up… something. Not even sure what it was. I was fairly certain I was bruised and might have even some cracked bones, though. "Titania, what in the world… what is that thing?"

"What thing?" I croaked, still coughing and trying to get some air in my lungs. Monica's last moments flitted through my head, her gasping for air as everything gave out… "I haven't seen anything unusual…?" Vanessa just pointed towards… towards the giant, floating eyeball that was half-hiding behind the branches of a nearby tree. A giant, floating eyeball that had magic swirling around it. "Oh. That thing." I turned my attention to where I had been, and where Titania now was, and noticed her white coat was no longer white. Minor injuries, thankfully, but… "Your pegasus…"

"Looks like she intercepted the magic for you." And if it managed to pierce through a pegasus's famed resistance, I had a bad feeling about what it would've done to me. "Do you think you can run?"

"No." But I would anyway. Because otherwise, we'd be in trouble. "Giant eye might mean that its strongly hurt by light and whatnot, so if we can get some place with a good amount of sunlight, we might be able to blind it and-"

"Evil shade! May the blessed light drive you from this land!" ...Well, that was a convenient light spell. Very convenient. Even more convenient was that it popped the eyeball. "Travelers, are you well?" The caster was, of course, a monk, one who wore white robes that nearly blinded me with how crisp-white they were. Not… quite what I had meant by my earlier suggestion. Not quite what I had meant at all, actually. "Please, you must leave this area quickly," he murmured, frowning in worry. "Before you are surrounded…"

"Sorry, but we can't exactly leave?" I replied, reeling from the sudden change in circumstances. Vanessa, smartly, took advantage of the break to tend to her pegasus. "For one thing, we're lost. For another, it's not just the two of us."

"Ah, more to your mercenary group then?" ...Red hair and eyes strikes again. I wasn't even trying to utilize it this time. Certainly saved in explanations, though. "Then please, allow me to assist you. More monsters such as these have flooded Za'ha recently."

"Yeah, sure, that'll be-"

"Oh, my!" ...That was a new voice. A very loud and very new voice which echoed harshly through the trees. Who was that? Where were they? "These travelers have been besieged by the agents of evil!" Took me a moment to look up, where there was a cliff. And three people at the edge of said cliff: one on a horse, one laughing loudly, and one who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. I was definitely agreeing with the third one there. "Quickly, we must rush to their aid!" The one of the horse was the one speaking, and they… they looked like they were ready to charge straight off the cliff.

"My lady, if I may?" the third one began dryly. I only heard them because everything seemed to have frozen at the strange situation. "We charge off these cliffs and we'll just rush to our deaths. Let's find a path down."

"Oh…" The rider instantly deflated before sulking. "Oh, very well. But we must hurry!"

"Yes, yes." And the three disappeared from sight, as abruptly as they'd showed up. This was… I just… what?

"Did…?" Vanessa began slowly after a long and awkward beat of silence. She lightly pinched her cheek, like she was checking if she'd dropped into some fever-dream. "Did that just happen?"

"Let's pretend it didn't," I deadpanned, since we had enough to worry about. Instead, I returned my attention to the monk, who simply looked curious. "So, which way are we going? And what's your name again?"

Gods, it would be nice if you at least gave us _consistent_ luck, damn it!

* * *

The monk's name was Artur. Not Arthur, but Artur. I misheard him the first time, and called him repeatedly by the wrong name until Vanessa corrected me. Swore my face heated up to match my hair when I realized what was wrong, but Artur at least took it with good humor. More humor than I would've expected (and more humor than he probably should've). Oh, the lecture Monica would've given me if she were still alive…

But, regardless, the monk's name was Artur, and he easily led us through the woods to a village, most likely his home. As luck would have it, that was where the others of our group were, desperately fighting against the monsters. Because the village hadn't had time to evacuate or even set up fortifications before the monsters came, and these monsters… they proved just why Valter was always called one. Like him, they didn't discriminate between 'soldier' and 'civilian'.

When we arrived, I saw one of the corpses (revenants, a distant part of my mind supplied. They were called 'revenants' in the stories) raked a misty claw across the back of an escaping civilian. They stumbled from the pain, and that was enough for the corpse to catch up. Catch up and… and rend them to pieces. Others joined in, ripping and tearing again and again, until the civilian was nothing but pulp. Nothing that even remotely resembled a human. But at least that had been _quick_. Not like the one that was caught by the largest of the corpses, one that was more green and black than the others. That one wasn't content with simply ripping. No, that one was apparently _hungry_ , and it had a craving for anything with meat. Including humans.

The screams of the child it had caught tore through my heart and even though I knew I was too far away, I lunged forward, hoping stupidly that I could make it anyway. I didn't, of course. I didn't even make it to the green-revenant before it dropped the remains of the child and lumbered off for its next meal. I didn't chase. Instead, I knelt by the child and shakily brushed some of their sweat-matted hair out of their face. It was still twisted with fear, dead and glassy eyes staring at me accusingly as the last of their terrified tears seeped from the sockets to join the blood. Their shoulder was just… gone. The top part, at least, with some of the bone crushed underneath. Their shoulder, part of their side, part of their leg… All gone. Testaments of just how the monster had killed them…

The bone 'crunched' when it moved. That was the only warning I had before the dead-child swung its partially-eaten arm at me, mist-wrapped claws grazing my neck. I jerked back instinctively, and stared in horror as the dead-child twisted and contorted into an upright position, swaying before they 'grinned' and lurched forward for another strike. Instinctively, I dodged and whipped my lance up and around for a counter. I got their neck and knocked them to the ground. They writhed in the mud, attempting to stand again, but I… I used all my strength to slam my lance into their skull. First try only caused a crack. Second one led to blood bursting (somehow), bone fragments flying, and the dead-child growing still. Their hands were still clawed.

I wanted to be sick. I wanted to scream. But I didn't have time to do either, because I knew others in our group would be shaken by the children-turned-monsters. And the one shaken the worst would be… actually, there were no real 'degrees' for this sort of screwed up shit. But Eirika was closest to where I was, and Eirika had frozen as two children-monsters lurched for her, so it was Eirika I bolted for and Eirika I protected. I did gag when I knocked them down and cracked their skulls open, though. I only kept from outright puking because I didn't want to vomit _on_ their corpses.

"Princess Eirika, go to Seth," I croaked. She didn't even twitch. She just kept staring at the children who had been killed, and then twisted into the very things that had killed them. "Now."

"I…" she tried to reply. But her voice creaked like a rusty hinge, and was just as brittle. "No, you're right…" She tried to take a step back, but slipped. She caught herself though. "Seth. Right." Because that would be good for _both_ of them. Seth might hesitate at these particular monsters, because he was a _knight_ and damn it, knights were supposed to protect children. But he'd prioritize Eirika's safety. "You…"

"Will do what needs to be done." Because someone had to and if we didn't, then they'd kill more. They'd kill more civilians. They'd kill some of our group. So… I… "Go on."

"..." Eirika leaned against my back briefly, as much of a hug as she could manage. Then she was gone, and I… I specifically targeted the monsters that had once been children. So that none of the others had to.

I couldn't count the number of injuries I took, focusing as I did. I knew it had been enough that Colm had tried to snap at me, after I saved Neimi from a child-monster that had skirted too close. But I didn't hear him. I just kept going. Kill one child, move on to the next one. No matter the injuries I took, no matter how much my arms and back ached… I kept on going. Even when my lance broke in one child's skull and I had to steal one from a fallen skeleton… I kept fighting.

I could ask myself why there were so many children, but I knew the answer. The village had clearly been taken by surprise and children were slower. Their strides were shorter. And, truthfully, even the 'one' I had first fought and killed had been 'too many'. So, I knew it would feel like a lot even if there were only a handful. And it was more than a handful. It was far more than a handful. The toddler I had to kill… I might've screamed if a girl with purple hair in pigtails hadn't shown up from nowhere to poke my cheek.

"Hmm…" The girl studied me closely before nodding. "Your skin shows no signs of putrefaction," she murmured, looking me up and down. I had… well, I'd had people 'check me out' before, but I never quite felt like a specimen in an experiment before now. I didn't like it. I liked it even less when the body of a three-year-old was at my feet. "It seems you are not a revenant."

"I'm… yeah, I'm not," I replied, stumbling over my words. Just what was with today and everything? "Who are you?"

"I am Lute, a mage of superior wisdom and rare ability." And I supposed that 'rare ability' wasn't humility, huh? "I've read up on revenants and, so, I've decided to join the battle. They are no match for me. I am, after all, superior." No need to say 'superior' twice there...

"Just…" Sighing, I looked around for Eirika, feeling my neck creak and pop at the movement. When I found her near Seth, I pointed. "Go tell _her_ that. She's the leader." Sorry, Eirika… but I had no patience for this sort of thing even on a _good_ day. And considering how her 'superiority' hadn't done a damn thing for the dead… yeah, it was either get her away from me or biting her head off. And I was too tired for the latter. Besides, might help her focus on the here and now and not… not the dead. Not the children I had to kill because...

I… had to keep going. Just a little longer, and then I could collapse… I hoped...

* * *

I didn't remember when the battle ended. I just knew that I went from killing the dead to puking my guts out in the house of some kindly villager. Vanessa held my hair back. I hoped I remembered to thank her, but I couldn't remember. My nerves were raw and I felt like my head was filled with fog. And I was cold, bone-deep cold that I couldn't seem to get rid of, no matter how much I shivered. Moulder checked me for illness or poison while tending to my injuries, but nothing like that was wrong. Just some shock and some muscle strain from pushing myself too much. He ordered me to rest, which I did because I couldn't seem to keep myself coordinated enough to protest. Hell, Seth actually had to carry me to bed. We were staying the night here, after all. Both because all of us were too tired and wounded to continue, and to ensure the villagers would be safe.

I couldn't say I minded. Being confined to my bed, at least. I mean… I found it pathetic, certainly, but it gave me a good excuse to avoid the burnings. I was glad, since I didn't want to see the children I had killed disappear into ash. Because all of the monsters were being burned, just in case. We were going to burn _all_ the dead, even those who hadn't turned, but at some point during the battle, that dramatic girl had appeared with her loud escort and her 'way too tired for this' one. I'd been told she'd cast some spell to prevent the dead from being corrupted and transfigured, though I didn't remember seeing it or anything. Honestly, I kind of thought it bullshit and I wasn't the only one who thought that; that was another reason we were staying. If the dead rose, we were here to combat it. But the girl did mention being from Rausten, apparently, so maybe there was something to it.

"Emma?" Ross was surprisingly quiet when he came to visit me at some point after the burnings. He carried a steaming mug and it wasn't until he handed it to me that I processed it was tea. "Well, you're not quite as pasty and gray as you were earlier," he noted bluntly. Despite the blunt words, though, he was gentle when helping me hold the mug. My hands still shook a little, though nowhere near as bad as earlier. "Moulder wants you to try and drink all of this."

"That so?" I murmured in return. It took me a second to sip the tea, and though it scalded my tongue, the taste was soothing. "Something to help me sleep?"

"I think so? I… uh… didn't really pay attention." He smiled sheepishly, and I managed to smile back. "But wow, that was… a battle, huh?" I supposed that was one way to describe it. "The dead coming back and-"

"That's not 'coming back'. That's someone playing with corpses like they were puppets or dolls." Too tired to bite my tongue, I couldn't help but scoff and roll my eyes. The dead coming back? That's such idiocy. You couldn't 'un-rot' someone. Even when wounds showed necrosis, you had to cut away the dead skin so that the rest could heal. That was just the way of things. "There is nothing more foolish than believing the dead can return." Once they've breathed their last, that was it. Believing otherwise was nothing but madness brought forth by grief. A denial of what had occurred, and a denial of reality. And the living had to carry the weight of the dead with them, until it snapped their spines. Then they either scarred and kept on walking, or died themselves.

"Er… right…" Ross squirmed and I felt guilty. I knew he'd just been trying to make conversation, but I… "In retrospect, it was probably stupid to bring up the battle. Especially considering what you did so that the rest of us didn't have to." I didn't know if any of the others had killed the child-monsters. I only knew that I had killed most of them. "I'll… just leave you to your tea before I say something else stupid. You really should rest."

He kindly made sure my blankets were tucked around me before he left, and I felt even guiltier for being so curt. Even if it was a truth I knew well… No matter how much you wished, how much you cried… death was a one-way trip. Though there were some stories of 'reincarnation' (mostly from Rausten), that wasn't the dead coming back. Not really. What we saw today… it certainly hadn't been that. It was the same as putting a body on display for intimidation purposes. A way to demoralize and make a mockery of those who had passed…

Shaking my head violently, I focused on my tea. Just drinking it and trying to discern the various tastes. Chamomile, a little bit of some sort of citrus… that was about all I could get. Something sweet was in it, but not 'sugar-sweet'. Some sort of berry, perhaps. I wasn't quite sure and I was so focused on trying to figure it out that it took me a moment to realize there was murmuring outside my door. Eirika, and a voice I didn't fully recognize. The door was helpfully pushed open enough for me to see it was that purple-haired girl from before, though. The one I… should know the name of, but I couldn't quite… though, I didn't have to wonder for long.

"Thanks for showing me the way, Lute," Eirika murmured, inclining her head slightly. She looked exhausted, so much so that she couldn't maintain her poise. In fact, she even was slumped. "And for helping me when I tripped. I can't believe how… strong those monsters were."

"Those are nothing," Lute bluntly replied. Her expression was thoughtful, though, like she hadn't meant to be so untactful. "The revenants and skeletons are the weakest of the Demon King's forces. That is why they served as the vanguard." Lute rattled the information off easily, with an apathy unbefitting of the whole ' _demon army vanguard was here'._ Sure, you heard of them lurking about in the Darkling Woods, but Rausten kept them from spilling over to the rest of the continent. "We saw mogalls, who aren't normally part of the tip of the vanguard, but there are others. Mauthe doogs, gargoyles, baels… not to mentioned strengthened versions of all the ones we saw." She sighed, shaking her head. "There is much worse to come. I fear even my fantastic might will not be enough." ...I had no idea how to take that statement.

Neither did Eirika, so she defaulted to her politest smile. "Well, hopefully, we shan't see more of them?" She nudged the door open a little wider, for the convenient escape. "I think Emma might throw a fit over how badly they messed up my hair, for one thing." Hey now… I was too tired to pretend to be offended… that wasn't fair.

"You are terrible at brushing it." Back to bluntness for Lute, then. "Hmm… you are also gray, stand with as much poise as a snapped branch… you had best rest with your friend. The two of you can be pasty together."

"...Right, thank you." Eirika waited for Lute to leave before actually stepping inside my borrowed room. She smiled faintly when she noticed me looking at her. "How much did you hear?"

"I certainly heard that last part," I replied, finishing off my tea. No point in trying to figure out the ingredients now. "She's quite the tactless one."

"She's a… strange girl, yes," Eirika noted tactfully, sitting on the bed next to me. I raised a brow and she shrugged. "I have to be diplomatic. She'll be traveling with us, along with Artur."

"...Why?" That made no sense. They had no reason to leave with us. They still had a home, and they didn't know any of the people we were attempting to find. Sure, there was the whole 'help for the sake of helping', but considering how their home had to evacuate and go gods knew where?

"I don't know, but Artur requested it." Did he think we'd encounter more monsters or something? Gods, I hoped not. "Since he helped us so much, I couldn't really say 'no'." She shrugged. "I gather that Lute is coming along because Artur is."

"I see." Two more people to cook for, then. Did they have any allergies? "What about the villagers, then?"

"L'arachel offered to escort them north to Frelia, since she plans on heading to Carcino." She smiled slightly and I tried to figure out who that was. "The very… exuberant girl."

"The one with a melodramatic streak that wouldn't be out of place in a theatre show?"

"Yes, her." Eirika muffled a laugh that was as tired as she looked. "I wanted to check in on you, and maybe joke around or share some stories, but you look as bad as I feel."

"Funny, I was going to say the same about you."

"Yikes, then it's _really_ bad." She hesitated before shaking her head. "In that case, we should both just… get some rest tonight, huh?" She stood up and took my empty mug from me. I hoped Moulder made some of that tea for her as well. And the others in our army. "We'll need to leave in the morning, after all."

"Yeah, we already lost some time thanks to today." I smiled at her, to try and keep her from worrying. "Enjoy the bed while you can."

"Believe me, I will."

She left without another word, and I laid down to try and get some sleep. But I didn't get much. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the children-turned-monsters who I had killed. Each and every one of them. They clawed at me in my nightmares, demanding the same thing: ' _why did we have to die twice?'_

I wished I had an answer. But I knew I never would.

* * *

_Vanessa_

_A pegasus knight who has served for two years, give or take, and is the younger sister of Syrene. She admires her sister greatly, though she's often frustrated that she's not able to catch up and stand as her equal._

_Like most pegasus knights, she has trained for increased speed and skill at the expense of her strength. Her relatively light armor also means that if she takes a hit, she'll suffer a great amount of damage. Despite this, her aerial advantage and mobility make her a prized member of the army_

_Noted for her serious demeanor, her greatest asset has always been her ability to remain calm in every kind of situation. This doesn't mean she doesn't have a mischievous streak, however, or that she cannot show childlike glee at things. Like particularly good food._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Ah, the classic magic tutorial complete with convenient monk and mage. And monsters, which form the bulk of the 'free battles' you have in FE8's map (and is another mechanic FE8 took from FE2, along with the 'moving on the world map' and the like). Why children zombies? Because I highly doubt the Demon King differentiated.


	7. Chapter 5) The Empire's Reach

Chapter 5) The Empire's Reach

* * *

_Monsters… they're supposed to be things of old. Things that once, long ago, had threatened the world, but no longer. Well, no, not really, since the Darkling Woods in Rausten was still filled with them and all. But still, they're supposed to be contained up there. Not be far to the south… and yet, they were. Monsters roamed the Za'ha woods, attacking civilians… killing children…_

_I still see them whenever I close my eyes, those children I had to re-kill. I still feel their blood on my hands, their mutated claws in my flesh. I still hear their dying screams and their un-living screeches… gods, what is wrong with the world?_

* * *

Serafew… I had visited a few times over the past couple of years. Whenever I accompanied Eirika to Grado, we had passed through here. In fact, it was in Serafew that Emperor Vigarde and Lyon always met the Renaisi royal family whenever one family traveled to the other's country, and here where both families said farewell before returning home. It had always been a peaceful, lively town where Renaisi and Gradoans lived together with pride and laughter.

Now, though… on the surface it looked the same. The buildings were still the same white, brown, and golden-yellow, for instance. There were people still in the market. And the flags of Renais and Grado still flapped on the flagpole in the center of the square. Except… the Renaisi one was noticeably… tattered compared to the Grado one. Not as bad as the one we found at that massacre-turned-revenants, but it was still noticeable. In contrast, the Gradoan flag has crisp colors, like it was brand new, with the black wyvern-rampant practically gleaming against the crimson flag…

"Look there…" Eirika whispered, pointing to the ramparts. Our group had taken a break on the outskirts of Serafew to gather information, and Eirika and I had snuck off to a nearby cliff that overlooked the city. See what was different. "There weren't soldiers on the ramparts, last time we were here."

"No, there wasn't," I agreed, speaking just as softly, barely loud enough to hear. The wind blew fiercely; I had to hold my hood against my head to keep it from blowing off. And maybe taking my cloak entirely with it. "It was just a token force, a year and a half ago." Daniel had actually been working the gates that day, so I had teased him while Eirika, Ephraim, and Lyon had said their goodbyes. Where was he now? I was scared to learn the answer… "They were mostly here for the occasional bandit attack and for when earthquakes reached this far north."

"Of course, because this city was always a symbol of the peace between our countries. Of the strong ties of friendship between our people…" Eirika closed her eyes, forcing back tears. I just continued studying the city, noticing now that there were some districts blocked off. Some rubble, some burnt remains… and the graveyard was easily twice the size it had been a year and a half ago. Even from here, I could see how fresh the soil was. "It feels like it was a lifetime ago, that happy time."

"Yeah, it does." Of course, for me, it felt like everything in the world went wrong when Monica died. Like her death had taken the last bit of beauty and goodness… and now, nothing felt real. Felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, except my nightmares never used to be so horrible…

"Princess Eirika? Emma?" Franz's quiet voice caught both of our attentions, and we turned to see him bowing. "Colm just returned," he reported. Which meant we all needed to get together and figure out just how we were going to _safely_ gather supplies. "If you need a minute, then I can-"

"No, Franz, it's better we discuss this sooner rather than later," Eirika gently refused. She glanced at Serafew one more time before heading down the path, to where we had camped. Franz, of course, followed her. "Were there any difficulties?"

"Nothing immediately obvious, but Colm was waiting for everyone."

The two continued on, but I stayed where I was for a moment longer. Lingering to stare at the city, and at all the little differences. However, a 'ripping' sound that was simultaneously quiet and loud made me jump, and I jerked my head up to see... to see the sound had been the Renaisi flag tearing from the flagpole. Now it was twisting about on the wind, battered this way and that. Until a wyvern launched itself from wherever Grado kept its wyverns, and snatched it right out of the sky. I supposed there was something terribly fitting about that… a wyvern with grey scales so pale that they were almost as white as the wings on the Renaisi flag, laying claim to the flag like it was just another toy to play with and discard…

I turned away and dashed down the path to catch up with Franz and Eirika. Luckily, neither had noticed my brief absence. Instead, we all simply returned to the others and sat down wherever in the camp. There wasn't any order to it or anything, unless you counted how the Frelians grouped together and how Artur was forced to sit on an uncomfortable looking root because Lute had sprawled out across his lap to read and not pay attention to anything. And how Colm sat somewhere in the approximate center of us. Nothing more.

"Well, there's soldiers, big surprise," Colm began once everyone was settled and seated. Because of course he'd start a report with sarcasm. "It seems like General Glen was around here as well, doing some exercises with some of his newer soldiers. And training some unpartnered wyverns, since based on the rumors, Prince Innes is shredding their prized fliers."

"Frelia's archers are unmatched," Gilliam murmured with just a touch of pride. The warm smile, though, spoke far louder. "I am not surprised his highness is utilizing them. I do not suppose you have heard other rumors?"

"Mostly that Frelia's forces have them at a stalemate on the border for now." Stalemate was good. But that stalemate was… "They're being _very_ careful about information in military matters."

"Mostly likely to minimize what the spies learn." Gilliam nodded, apparently expecting something like that. "My thanks."

"It was just listening to gossip, so it wasn't a big deal. Once you're inside Serafew, so long as you don't catch the guards' attention, you're fine. No one makes a big deal about new people or anything, particularly since there's quite a few newbie soldiers making stops here in Serafew."

"Speaking of which, did you hear anything about what propaganda they were spreading to justify the invasion?" Moulder asked, barely looking up from his list. In fact, I think he only did to do a little bit of math. "It would be good so that we can look into counter-rumors."

"Sadly, nothing in Serafew that people were willing to gossip about in the market," Colm replied, shaking his head. That caused a few sighs. "It's almost eerie how little people are talking about the war, actually." Was Grado enforcing silence, then? "There's also nothing more on Prince Ephraim. Just that he's somewhere south, possibly fighting. Maybe."

"I imagine Grado would be quick to nip those rumors in the bud, if only to minimize the chances of people rallying to him." Moulder finished his list and set it to the side. "Anything on the Renaisi troops stationed here?"

"Last anyone seems to have seen or heard, they did their best to lead the fighting _out_ of the city and…" Colm shrugged, which was all the answer anyone needed. Particularly me. I didn't know if the others knew if the corpses we'd walked in on prior to the revenants were some of the ones stationed here or not, but… "Anyway, for the present. There's soldiers. They're not heavily patrolling or anything, but they're in up in arms about _something_. No, I don't know what." There definitely had to be a gag order or something. "They're twitchy because of it. However, the west gate is undermanned. Shouldn't be hard to have a couple of folks sneak in there to gather supplies."

"So, taking turns and grouping things as we can to avoid making large purchases at a single vendor." Moulder was apparently very good at the whole 'minimize attention' thing? At the least, he seemed to know what he was doing. "Let me see the lists again?"

Never knew I'd experience a shopping trip that had all the planning of a battle. But I supposed life thought it was funny like that.

* * *

Colm, Neimi, Ross, Moulder, and I took turns sneaking into Serafew. Why us? Colm was naturally sneaky, Neimi was an _excellent_ haggler apparently, Ross looked like the normal village boy he was, Moulder was a priest and no one expected them to be crafty, and I had the Jehannan coloring to fall back on if anyone got suspicious. There was a worry about Ross bragging about his dad, but his 'normalness' was considered enough of a boon to risk that. Even if Garcia sat him down to give him a lecture about being loud.

Why none of the others? Artur couldn't lie even if his life was on the line, Lute's… 'Lute-ness' made her very memorable, and the knights were too 'knightly' in their posture and speech to blend in with the crowd. Not to mention that Seth was _very_ recognizable. And, if General Glen was still around, Eirika would be as well, since she had frequently asked him questions about wyverns and their place in Grado's culture during visits. There… honestly was a worry that he'd recognize _me_ as her lady in waiting, but just like Ross's normalness, the 'shield' my coloring gave was considered enough to risk it.

"I think this is the last on this list…" I whispered, checking over Moulder's meticulously neat notes and what I had in my basket. Though, the last one on the list really amused me: ' _whatever spices Neimi and Emma want to continue with their delicious meals'._ And, even better, the merchants were selling spices at a discount in anticipation for how the prices were going to rise. War disrupted trade, after all. Though, it could've also have been to make room for inventory that was more 'in-demand', or to lessen their loads to make it easier to travel quickly. Victor had told me all about that. I wondered… "Victor, you'd better be okay…" He and his group had been returning to Carcino, which was on the other side of Magvel… in theory, he should be furthest away from the fighting…

"Miss?" ...Oh, gods, please tell me whoever was talking wasn't talking to me. "Hey, miss!" If I kept walking, would they get the hint? "Miss!" Nope. No such luck. The speaker was the persistent and grabby sort. As in they actually grabbed my arm. "Hello, there!" they greeted with a smile. I did my best to regard them cooly, wondering just… why. Why me? Why now? The last thing I needed to deal with was a person who thought they could flirt their way into a stranger's bed. "Has anyone ever told you that you're really pretty?"

"No, of course not. This is the first time I've stepped outside all of my life and been around people." I made sure to be as sarcastic as possible. Their smile faltered. "I could've never imagined that walking up to a stranger and snatching their arm was considered polite behavior."

"No need to be so testy!" They frowned now, still holding onto my arm. Now that I looked, I noticed they were wearing some light armor. Crimson… they were a Gradoan soldier. Because of could that would happen to me. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to go get a drink or something. My treat!"

"I'm busy." Ugh… this was the worst. I would've thought keeping my hood up would help sell the impression that I was in a hurry, and also keep idiots like this from approaching. It wasn't like you could see much of me thanks to the hood, or so I'd think. "So, no."

"Aw, come on, don't be that way…" They leaned forward, like they thought their presence was just so captivating that it would force me to agree. "It's just a drink!"

"No. I'm busy." I spoke slowly, to give him a little extra time to comprehend the words. It must be very hard to understand things when one lacked a brain, after all. "Let go."

"You should be-"

"If your next words are 'honored' or 'happy' about a complete stranger accosting me in the middle of the market and refusing to accept that I do not wish to date or have sex with them…"

"I'm just being nice!"

"There is nothing 'nice' about this situation."

"Indeed, there isn't," someone else agreed. I had no idea what was more bell-like. Her voice, her little laugh, or the actual bells she wore around her wrists. Either way, everything about her chimed as she appeared out of nowhere to hug me and gently force the soldier to let go of me. Well, 'gently'. It was gentle for me. Their wince and the way they rubbed their hand hinted it wasn't quite so 'gentle' for them. "I was worried when you didn't make it in time to see my show, dear." The woman all but cuddled me, humming softly. "I told you that the errands could wait."

"But I didn't want to be worrying about them while watching," I protested, thinking of a lie on the spot. After all, the woman was a shield and the best thing to do would be to go along with that for now. "I wanted to relax for once."

"Well, I suppose that is just like you." The woman laughed brightly and 'subtly' led me away. Thankfully, the soldier didn't follow and when they were out of sight, the woman let go of me and smiled ruefully. "Sorry for intervening, but…"

"No, no, I should be thanking you." Because if that had kept on going, I probably would've broken something. Or at least attempted to. "Been a while since I dealt with someone so…"

"Male?" She grinned and I had to smile at that. "Sadly, it seems the occupation has bloated quite a few young egos. I deal with many after every show."

"Show?" Realizing that hadn't been as random of an excuse as I'd thought, I looked at the bells again, as well as the scarf and her outfit. Most didn't wear a shirt that revealed so much of their midriff, but I had seen… "Are you a dancer?"

"I am, indeed." She smiled, pleased that I had guessed. "My name is Tethys." Tethys… I had actually heard of a dancer by that name. Just in passing, mainly. Mostly from Forde after he snuck to some taverns to watch a couple of shows. "What's yours?"

"Emma." Thankfully, my name wasn't so unusual that most could recognize it just by that. I could get away with not having to use a fake name.

"Well then, Emma, how about you hide out in the townhouse I'm using? Just to make sure that idiot doesn't try to follow you."

It sounded more than good to me, since the idea of accidentally leading a Grado soldier to Eirika was… well, it made my stomach twist into a knot. So, instead, I stayed with Tethys for a bit, sitting at the kitchen table with drinks while listening to her gossip about some of her patrons and things she'd seen on her travels. She'd been all over Magvel, and it was amazing how different some things were and yet, how much people were simply people. Even if some of those things were nearly impossible to believe.

"You had to have made that up!" I protested in between laughs. And desperately trying to not choke on my water or start hiccupping. Tethys had offered actual food, but I'd just gone for water. Safer. Even if I was… actually, I was having fun. I was reminded of those warm days that felt an eternity ago, when Monica was alive and the two of us would be gossiping while catching up. Of course, back then, I was the one telling crazy stories of what all I had heard and seen in Ivroria. But… "Please, surely no one is that stupid!"

"You'd be surprised," Tethys teased, laughing warmly. Unlike me, she drank mint tea, a specialty of Jehanna and one that I was tempted to have. Ill-advised as it might be to have something a stranger prepared, I hadn't had mint tea since Monica died, and we used to always have it. Iced mint tea and fruit omelets… such things always meant 'comfort' to me. That things would be okay. "Particularly when stubborn sorts get an idea in their heads and refuse to back down."

"Still, though!" When was the last time I laughed this much, actually? I… couldn't remember. But it was hard not to laugh. Not just because I was having fun, but because she… it wasn't like she looked anything like Monica. Monica, after all, had inherited Dad's coloring, just as I'd inherited Mom's. And she didn't really _act_ like Monica either… except she also did. That 'big sister' air, that mix of gentle caretaker and mischievous imp… I couldn't help but relax, even though my heart ached and _keened_. And guilt gnawed at what remained, because I shouldn't be relaxing like this. I didn't deserve it…

"Never underestimate a stubborn person's complete and total willingness to destroy themselves. Or, in this case, find themselves surrounded by a gaggle of grouchy geese." She grinned and I had to be as red as my hair with how much I was laughing. She might've even commented on it if not for the front door opening. "Oh, Saleh, you've returned?"

"I have." The new person who walked in… he didn't seem like he belonged. Which sounded far harsher than I meant, but even with the stoic expression, there was a feeling on unease about him. Like he was very far from his comfort zone. "I am afraid…" he began, before his sharp gaze fell on me. His cloak seemed Jehannan in design, but the clothes underneath… I wasn't quite sure 'where' they fit. Perhaps someone used to the mountains? They were closest to that, based on what I remembered from Victor's stock. "A guest?"

"You're afraid of our guest?" Tethys teased, getting up from the table. She walked over and absently adjusted his headband, which was definitely a pattern I'd never seen before. Must be unique to wherever he was from. "Come now! Isn't she adorable? Like a kitten! Or a little bird?"

"Tethys, you look even more harmless and when we met, you nearly stabbed me with a hairpin because you thought I had kidnapped Ewan." ...What kind of hairpin? I wanted one for Eirika. "Who is this, though?"

"Just a sweet girl whose gathering supplies before traveling again and got harassed by someone whose ego far outpaces their charm." That was certainly one way to describe that soldier. "Nothing more."

"I see… so, miss, you've been traveling?" The man regarded me with an expressionless gaze, and it was hard to guess what he was thinking. "Did you happen upon a girl with indigo hair?"

"Indigo?" I repeated, surprised. That was a very specific color. "No, not yet, at least."

"I see…" he whispered. After a moment, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Lady Myrrh, where are you…?" 'Lady', huh? A daughter from an influential merchant family in Carcino or something?

"Easy, Saleh, I'm sure she's fine," Tethys reassured, slipping around to hug him. She even stroked his hair, like he was her younger sibling or something. "Call it a dancer's intuition."

"I can only pray you are correct," 'Saleh' murmured. He leaned on Tethys briefly. "I have been away from Caer Pelyn too long. The darkness spreads and I must make sure the wards will hold firm."

"I'm sure Grandmother has it under control, if you'd like to linger a little longer."

" _You_ need to return to Gerik and report as well, and you cannot travel alone. There are too many dangers. The darkness to the south grows larger with each passing day." Darkness? South? South was Grado, but… "So, it's best for both of us."

"I suppose." Tethys tapped her cheek, frowning slightly. "I wish you'd be a little less vague about 'darkness', though."

"That's what Lady Myrrh was investigating, but…" Saleh shook his head. "No, I must simply believe her to be well for now. She would be vexed if I neglected Caer Pelyn out of worry."

"Hard to imagine that cutie being anything but melancholic, truthfully." Tethys sighed, but nodded. "We'd better not take a direct path back, so we can slip into the woods to the east first and swing-"

"Don't," I interrupted harshly. I shouldn't have. I should've just continued to sit there with my water and let them have their conversation. But… "There's monsters in the Za'ha woods." I couldn't let them just wander into what we'd dealt with. "Revenants and the like. The villages within are evacuating."

"Revenants, this far south?" Saleh murmured. Though Tethys seemed skeptical, Saleh… well, it was hard to tell, but I thought he took my words seriously. "The miasma seeps into the earth and spreads… yes, that would make sense." Glad it did to someone. "Was it just revenants?"

"Revenants, skeletons, mogalls…" I tried to remember, but the only memory that clawed into my head was the revenant-children. The revenant-children and their blood splattering me, coating my hands and lance… "A mage that I know called them the 'vanguard'."

"...I really must return to Caer Pelyn, then." Saleh looked at Tethys, who was just frowning now. "Gerik should also know this. It will increase the dangers the mercenaries face." Since I'd heard from Mom how 'expendable' many saw mercenaries, I figured they'd be the ones getting ambushed during scouts and the like. But I wouldn't say that, because it wasn't like I knew anything.

"It sounds a little too much like a tale, but Emma speaks as if she saw it first hand, and I know you aren't one to humor anyone," Tethys murmured. After a second, she nodded. "Very well, but if we're to leave quickly, we'll have to figure out which gifts I leave behind." She hummed a moment before smiling at me. "Emma, might you help with that? I don't want to simply discard them, but I can't give them away here. They're from patrons, you see."

"Uh… sure?" I answered, not quite… well, my head was still filled with dead children, so I wasn't sure I even understood her. "I think I can, at least?"

"Marvelous! Especially since there's a dress or two among the pile that would look so pretty on you!" She clapped her hands in delight, the bells of her bracelets chiming to add to the noise. Saleh simply shook his head with a very slight smile. "This way, then!"

...What did I agree to this time?

* * *

While Tethys looked through her gifts, Saleh helpfully explained to me that she often received gifts from people in the audience, particularly very high ranked people, after her dances. Things to express appreciation, or to try and entice her into their beds. Which was why Tethys couldn't just leave the things behind because they were high ranked enough to be violent if they thought they'd been insulted, or at least bar her performing without extra 'favors' to make it up to them. Which… I supposed meant that both Tethys and I had our 'Jehannan Luck' kick in due to me getting harassed at the market. She had someone who could sneak the excess supplies away without anyone knowing, and _I_ got lots of extra supplies to bring back to the others. Not all of it was particularly useful or anything, but enough was. I considered it a 'win' and no one had second thoughts about me sneaking in for another supply run. Just a couple extra things that we didn't truly _need_ , but that we had the budget for and would make the trip more comfortable.

"And that's the last of that, with coin to spare," I whispered, smiling slightly. I debated using some of that leftover coin to buy the group something nice, like a bundle of sweets, but decided against it. I knew from Orson that maintaining weapons and armor was expensive and who knew when we'd have to head to an armory to fix them. I already had two lances break on me, after all, and I wasn't even doing the majority of the fighting. "Maybe I should see about any cheap knives?" I had my fan as a back-up, but most of the group didn't actually have back-up weapons. More of a detriment for those of us who didn't have war-trained mounts, or heavy armor to compensate if a weapon suddenly broke or was lost. And while we did technically have knives for cooking, I wasn't exactly in a mood to stab someone with the same knife I intended to stab vegetables with. "Let's see…"

It didn't take me long to find where the armory had set up a stall in the market, but I had to fight off a grimace when I noticed there was nothing 'cheap' around. I wouldn't call any of them the 'absolute best' or anything, but they were still of good quality with the price to match. I wondered why, before remembering that Serafew was actually home to an arena. One where true weapons were allowed, and even encouraged. So, of course the armory would have their good stuff on sale…

Sighing, I snuck away, a little disappointed, but it wasn't anything to worry over. It would've been nice to have, certainly, but not so nice that I should waste time trying to hunt down where the cheaper things were sold. I didn't want the others to worry, especially if I just went about on my own without first letting them know. I'd just sneak out of the town, return to the group, and maybe bring it up then. I think they'd at least see the logic to it, even if they ultimately decided against it.

Plan set, I headed to the northernmost exit of Serafew, where I'd duck into some alleys and slip back to the western gate. It would be easy to lose anyone who might be trailing me because the northernmost part was easily the most crowded. Thanks, in part, to the arena, actually. Arenas always drew lots of people, and merchants set up their stalls near to take advantage of that. Which, of course, enticed even more people to risk being squished. It took most of your attention to just make sure you could actually make your way through, and not lose anything. As such, it didn't surprise me that most people didn't notice the flustered, uneasy cleric being harassed. Harassed by an _actual_ Jehannan mercenary, or so I guessed from the hair, garb, and jewelry. I should've just kept on walking, to avoid drawing attention to myself, but I was saved earlier, and it was only right to help now that I'd noticed. So…

"There you are, sis!" I gasped out, once I reached the two. Taking advantage of their surprise, I hooked my arm around the cleric's arm and did my best to look both worried and annoyed. "I told you that I'd pick you up from the temple! You're always getting lost!"

"Ah, so that's why she's all flustered," the mercenary laughed. He had a bright smile, and brighter laugh. Still, I didn't let the act go for even a second, because I saw how sharp his eyes were, even if he tried to hide them with his hat. "I was wondering! And, well, hoping I might have a convenient excuse to spend time with such a beautiful lady." Well, at least he was honest about it. "However, it seems like I crossed some boundaries, so…" He bowed with a flourish, and I was surprised that he pulled it off without coming off as mocking. "I'm sorry for making you uneasy, miss. Take care to keep close to your sister. The soldiers are uneasy, and makes them even less inclined to listen than usual." With that, he left, whistling a tune as he meandered towards the arena. I recognized the melody as something Mom would hum a lot, and I couldn't help but soften. And feel a little bad because hey, maybe he hadn't actually been harassing her.

"Um…" But that didn't matter for now. Right now, I had a very confused cleric blinking at me. "I am afraid you have me confused for someone?" she whispered, tilting her head. She really was pretty. ...And she kind of looked familiar for some reason. "I don't have a sister?"

"That was a lie to give you a convenient shield, since you looked uncomfortable and like you needed some help," I admitted easily. I shrugged and reached up to adjust the hood of my cloak. "First thing I thought of."

"Ah." She smiled, but it was tired. Now that I looked at her, she seemed a little wan. Definitely a gray complexion, and the beginnings of bags under her eyes. Had she not been sleeping? Well, if she was a cleric, then she probably knew healing… had she been treating the soldiers injured during the invasion? "I see. Thank you, then."

"It's no problem." Absently, I led her towards the market, mostly to get moving. Just in case someone else wanted to try their flirting on either of us. "So, where are you trying to go?" I figured she had to be going somewhere. Even if it was just a walk around for fresh air.

"I must…" She hesitated before talking in a hushed whisper. I barely heard her despite being right next to her. "I must make it to Frelia…" ...That was quite a ways, as I knew _very well_. "I must, or the purpose of everything will be lost…" What in the world was she talking about? I had no idea, and had even less of a clue when she smiled sadly at me. "I'm sorry, and I thank you for your help, but I shouldn't drag you into this. You should head home." Well, my home was kind of a wrecked ruin filled with blood and ash and corpses, so… "I need to-"

"Traitor Natasha!" The cleric stiffened at the sudden shout. Confused, I just turned to see a heavily armored guard glaring dramatically at us. "Surrender peacefully, blackguard!" they shouted. The cleric shook her head and took a step away from the guard. "Come quietly, and you may have a chance to explain yourself to the emperor!"

"Wait, please!" the cleric pleaded. I tried to figure out just what I'd fallen into. "Please! You must listen! The emperor isn't himself! Surely, you've seen that!"

"Impugn the emperor at your own peril!" Oh, lovely. Zealotry. "We have been ordered to execute you if you resist, and your words condemn you!"

"Given that Emperor Vigarde betrayed a decades-long personal friendship, violated a centuries-long alliance, and is now letting Renais rot from festering wounds, I really don't see where this loyalty comes from," I drawled, unable to bite my tongue in time. I just… Seriously, I couldn't understand this sort of blind loyalty. Or at least, this self-righteousness that sprang from it. Regardless of all that, royals were just people. People did stupid things. Like me, running my mouth while unarmed and facing down angry soldiers. And for not just slipping away and instead… "Come on!" I seized the cleric's hand and yanked her into the confused crowd. "This way!" And instead, taking her with me. Straight through the market crowd.

The guards shouted, of course. The stereotypical 'halt!' and the like. And, just like all good chase scenes in a book or play, neither the cleric nor I stopped. Just kept on running, pushing past people and ignoring their yelps of protest and shock. Well, I ignored them. I think I heard the cleric apologize. I, however, had other things on my mind besides politeness: escaping. So, after changing directions as many times as we could in the crowd, I dragged the cleric out of the market entirely and bolted down one of the alleys. Then, knowing we'd need to hide, I picked a house at random to duck into. One that looked like empty. So, following the laws of 'of course this would happen to me', the house wasn't actually empty at all. Though, to be fair, the cleric and I did nearly run over the girl staying here, since she'd clearly been on her way out the door.

"Ack!" The poor girl flailed backwards and fell on her ass while trying to avoid the cleric and me. Meanwhile, the cleric slipped and sprawled on the ground, while I had to jump, fall, and roll to avoid stepping on either of them, and avoid dropping my basket. "Ow…" the girl whimpered, making a face. She then sulked at us. "I know I'm from a rural village and all, but I don't think that's a polite greeting here in the city."

"Sorry, thought the house was empty," I blurted, trying to think quickly. I should focus more on apologizing, of course, but guards kind of took priority. As did trying to make sure this girl a) didn't turn us in and b) didn't get dragged into this. "Really persistent fellows, not taking 'no' for an answer, and-"

"Oh, yikes! Diane warned me about that sort of thing! It's why I cut my hair and wear loose clothes." She had a point, there. She was young enough that she could hide herself as a boy well enough to not catch unwanted attention of that kind. Now, of course, if one of the persistent ones was into pretty boys… "I hope I can change into my normal clothes soon, though. I miss my skirts, and I keep thinking my pants are going to fall off."

"Speaking of which…" While it wasn't her pants, her shirt definitely had a large and low collar, especially for someone of her build. Meaning she had part of her shoulder and chest exposed because it had slipped. "Here." Without thinking about it, I helped her adjust it.

"Thanks!" She smiled warmly at me, more warmly than I'd have figured given the forceful introduction there. "Anyway, if you two need to hide, you can hide here for a couple of hours. I was just on my way out the door, and the owners won't be by to clean things up until the evening."

"Thank you…" Okay, I felt a little bad now… "Why not stay at the inn?"

"The inn is filled with refugees from nearby villages. Bandits destroyed their homes…" She had a sad look in her eyes, and I wondered if she, too, had lost her home. Then I wondered if it had been bandits, or Grado soldiers, who had destroyed so much… "Stay safe, okay? Times are weird, and who knows what the twin fiends are plotting." ...Twin fiends? "The gossip has been talking all about them, and how cruel and merciless they are. To think they were friends with our Prince Lyon…" Hang on, what the…?! "Ah, enough of that! I'm off!"

"Hey, wait!" I tried to catch her, but shock had deadened my limbs into useless weights, so she was out of sight long before I could even move. So, I could only stare, trying to think but being unable to do so.

What she had said… twin fiends? Cruel and merciless? _That_ was what Grado was saying about them? Such blatant lies? I might not think much of Ephraim, in fact I thought as much of him as he thought at all, but I would never call him that… inconsiderate and an idiot, yes, but not cruel. Not merciless. And freaking hell, Eirika was almost _too_ nice sometimes! Sure, there was the concept of cruel mercy, but that wasn't… she wasn't…

"The easiest way to make someone your enemy is to change the people's perception of them," the cleric whispered. She pushed herself up from the floor slowly, and scooted back to lean on the wall. "Turn a person into a monster, into something other, and people question far less. You see it time and again."

"Yeah, I know that…" I mumbled, carefully shutting the door now. And I _did_ know that. Eirika and I had even talked about it. But to actually hear it, and to see ot be _believed_ … it was more than I could take right now. So, instead, I shoved it all to the side and focused on the current predicament I was in. "Enough of that, though. How does a cleric end up a traitor, anyway?"

"I'm sorry…" She smiled sadly at me. "I should've left you sooner… it's my fault you're mired in this mess."

"I'm involved anyway, believe it or not." I made sure to smile. I had to, because I was too tired to do anything else. "My name is Emma. I travel with Princess Eirika, searching for her wayward brother." Her eyes widened at that realization. Yes, of all the people who interfered, it was someone who could actually help her. Maybe she had some of the desert in her blood, with luck like that. Or, was it my own 'Jehannan Luck' dragging her into the mess? "It's Natasha, right?"

"Yes, Natasha, a cleric of the Fire's Sanctum." That was the largest temple in Lekikya, the resting place of the Fire Emblem. I knew it because the head priest there, Father McGregor, tutorted Lyon, and Eirika and Ephraim when they visited. Kind man, if strict. I particularly liked him because he always seemed like the only one who'd scold Ephraim. "Might I speak with her? Princess Eirika, I mean? If we escape?"

" _When_ we escape, and certainly." It wasn't like I could just leave her now. Earlier, sure, maybe, but not now. "Best wait for things to calm a bit, though."

I was going to have to hide so much of this from Orson. Apoplexy and heart attack just waiting to happen.

* * *

It was hard to say how long we waited in that darkened house. Long enough for our breath to even out, and then some. Certainly long enough for the noise to calm down. I half thought about just staying until nightfall, but that honestly might've made the two of us more suspicious. So, instead, we simply did something not quite as suspicious: sneak out the back door and dart through the alleys. Natasha's white gown and habit were horribly stained within seconds, but that was easily the least of our worries. For now. If we ran into people, I was certainly going to have to come up with some sort of lie to explain it. And I… uh… wasn't sure of a good lie besides the one I'd been using? Unless I could make up something like how she'd been in a rush to tend to a patient or something? Maybe?

Didn't matter, really. After all, the first person we ran into didn't care about all that. Nope, not one bit. After all, Colm was so incredibly annoyed with me that he didn't even notice Natasha at first.

"How… the hell did this even happen?" Colm groaned once I finished explaining everything. I just shrugged, and kept a grip on Natasha's hand. For her part, she smiled apologetically, like this was her fault instead of the world going mad. Madder, rather. "Ugh… is this going to be a thing? Because when it started getting late, Garcia just sighed and said something about 'Jehannan Luck' and Seth actually grumbled about it."

"I maintain that there has to be some sort of confirmatory bias," I deadpanned, since I really had no other answer. It wasn't as if I had gone looking for trouble, just supplies. But it certainly found me. "So, I'll be out with Natasha in a bit." I handed Colm my basket of supplies. He eyed them incredulously. "What? I had a death grip on the thing. Take it so that I have one less thing to worry about."

"You're running for your life, and you're worrying about items?"

"You snuck into a bandit hideout for a mirror." I smirked and he rolled his eyes. "Also, tell the others to move away from the city, please."

"Already done. Only way we could get a certain someone to agree to it was me promising to sneak in and find you." He glanced at Natasha, and I just shrugged. I wasn't leaving her, and… well, she knew I was with Eirika anyway. "You'll follow?"

"As soon as we escape."

"Good. And make it quick, will you?" He scowled. "I'm the only one allowed to make Neimi cry, and she'll bawl if you take too long."

With those sweetly barbed words, Colm ducked into the shadows and all but disappeared to my sight. Rolling my eyes, I tugged Natasha a different way and we were right back to our sneaking. While trying to somehow not look totally out of place. I doubted we succeeded, but no one stopped us, at least. That is, until we were close to the western gate, the one I'd hoped would still be undermanned. And I supposed it was, but there was a problem. Namely, there was someone leaning against the outer wall of one of the buildings. The Jehannan mercenary from earlier, to be specific, and since he pushed off from the wall as soon as Natasha and I were in sight… I knew he'd been waiting for us.

"You… you're that man from before…" Natasha whispered shakily. She smiled very bitterly when he drew his sword. I stiffened, longing for a weapon. Sure, I had the fan in my belt, but I doubted that would be much help here! "You're here to silence me, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Grado's paying the bill on this one," the man admitted easily. He held himself almost lazily, but I knew better than to trust that. Mom always looked laziest right before she struck, because she'd already found all the weaknesses she could exploit to kill you quickly. "Nothing personal."

"Wait, please…" Natasha took a step forward, and she might've taken another one if I hadn't been holding her hand. Just as well, since walking towards an armed person who had just admitted he was here to kill you typically wasn't the smartest of ideas, after all. "Please, I don't care what happens to me, but I must tell someone… about the emperor and what he plans and…"

"Miss, I'm a mercenary. I can't afford to care." Because that was just what life was like for mercenaries. Mercenaries who didn't fight starved to death. Jehanna's resources were just too few. I remembered Mom telling Monica and me about how despite being friends with the Jehannan royals, she stayed in Renais after Dad's death specifically so that neither of us had to worry about that. "Everything you say may be the truth or a lie to buy your life. Either way, I've a contract to Grado."

"That's…" Natasha grimaced. "But…"

"Mmm… still, killing such an unarmed civilian would leave a poor taste in my mouth, especially one as beautiful as you are, miss." Surprisingly, the man… the man became thoughtful. What the hell was…? "And my contract _does_ end today. Caellach wanted me to renew it, and I was considering it since he's an old friend, but…" He pondered for a second longer before grinning at us. "Tell me, do you like to gamble?"

"...What?!" Yeah, Natasha, that… that was my reaction too. Just more silent because shock closed my throat. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm always serious. Gambling's such great fun! Even when I lose, I can't stop!" He was mad. He had to be. "So, let's have a little wager. Simple coin toss. You win, I believe you."

"This isn't the time for games!"

"Would you rather I just skip to the part where I get on with my job?" This was completely insane. Completely and utterly insane. And I wished I could unfreeze because I should've thrown something at him, but the sheer insanity had me completely locked in place. "So?"

"I…" Natasha hesitated before… "Um… heads?" Wait, she was… ack! Hold on, there were many ways to cheat at this sort of thing! "No, tails!" He hadn't even shown the coin yet!

"All right." He pulled a coin from his pocket and tossed it up into the air. I yanked Natasha closer to me, desperately trying to figure out where we could run. But I found nothing as the coin spun in the air, glinting like a knife in the sunlight, and fell into the man's hand. He closed his hand into a fist to force the coin to pick a side. Then he opened it to take a look. "Huh."

"...Um…" Natasha shakily clasped her hands to her chest in a prayer. "Which… is it?" It was obviously-

"Tails." What. "See?" He held out his palm and I saw… I saw he wasn't kidding. It really was tails. "Figures. I haven't won anything all day." He sighed, but shrugged and smiled at us. "I see Lady Luck has spoken! I'm on your side now."

"Are… are you serious?" This couldn't be happening. I must've taken a blow to the head at some point and be having one weird as hell dream.

"I told you. I'm always serious. I may cheat, sure, but I never worm out of a bet." His eyes darted to the side. I looked as well and barely caught a shadow of movement. "It's a rule of mine."

"Oh…" Natasha smiled in relief… and though I knew it wasn't the time, it wasn't fair just how much it lit up her face. Reminded me of how Monica's smile always… "Thank heaven… thank you, blessed light, for your protection…"

"I got nothing against heaven, but if you want someone to thank…" Though he teased, the man looked serious. "No? Well, better get down for now. I've got to deal with some fools."

It felt like I'd barely blinked before he cut down the two soldiers that had wandered too close. It was probably just my shock because what the hell was my life right now. But still, he killed them easily and he _should_ have killed Natasha and me before we knew what had happened. So, I was dazed. So dazed that I didn't even twitch until something hit my shoe. A quick look down showed it was a coin, probably the same coin the mercenary had used for the toss. So, absently, I picked it up, so that I could return it to him. And froze for a completely different reason when I actually looked at it.

It was double-sided. Tails on both sides. He _had_ cheated. But to make sure she won.

"Damn, you saw." The mercenary plucked the coin from my hand and smiled ruefully at my shocked stare. "Not a word," he requested. "Some things are more important than pride." That was a rarity to hear. Pride was one of the few things Jehannans didn't sell, or so Mom had once said. As such, they… tended to hold onto it longer than they should. "The name is Joshua, by the way."

"Like the wayward prince?" I asked, a little amused. Particularly when he made a face. "I take it you hear that a lot."

"If I had a copper for every time I'd heard it, I'd be a very rich man." He sighed and shrugged, stretching slowly. Natasha, meanwhile, was… she was kneeling by the bodies, praying for them. Which, while I understood, didn't seem very… "Miss, you might want to get away from them. I didn't confirm the kills, so-"

One of the soldiers swung up. Not sure how, since they have blood spewing everywhere from the wound on their chest. Maybe it was because of their armor. Even I could see that what they wore was of better quality than their very still comrade. But it didn't matter, really. Their neck was still exposed, and that made it easy for me to push past Joshua, pull my fan from my belt, and stab the soldier in the neck. Blood burst from the wound when I jerked the fan out, splattering everywhere. By the time the body hit the ground, definitely dead, the blood was nothing but a trickle oozing out of the hole.

"Oh, yay, I didn't break my wrist this time," I observed, mostly because I was too nauseous to do much of anything. I was splattered with sticky blood, which clung to stickier sweat, and I just couldn't get used to the _smell_. I almost dry-heaved, standing over the fresh corpse as I was, and I absently unfurled my fan to fan myself. Get some nice cool air on me and hopefully not faint. I really didn't want to faint right now. "That's… good."

"You've definitely got the desert in your blood, if you fan yourself with a bloodstained fan," Joshua laughed. Me? I didn't even realize the morbidity of the action until he pointed it out. Didn't know if that was better or worse. "Let's get you two out of here before more show up, yeah?"

"Yes. Please." I held my hand out to Natasha, and she took it shakily. I think the long day was getting to her too. "Before I get injured because I'm clearly overdue for that."

Seriously, Seth and I were going to have to figure out some sort of abridged version to tell Orson. He was going to be so mad when he learned...

* * *

Thankfully, Joshua got Natasha and me out without anymore dramatics. Even better, Colm and Neimi had waited for us and didn't ask questions about the newest addition to the group. Weird looks, sure, but no questions. And, even better, no one asked anything about anything when we reunited with the others. Not until after baths and food and general relaxing. Only then did everyone ask the question everyone wanted to know.

"Natasha, please, forgive me…" Eirika began softly. We were all crowded around the fire, because nothing said 'serious meeting' like that. I felt like we should've been roasting something over the fire instead, but whatever. "But Colm did relay to us what Emma told him."

"Of course," Natasha whispered in turn. She sat between Moulder and Joshua in our little crowd, though Joshua sat a little outside the circle, so maybe it would be more accurate to say she sat by Arthur. Either way, she was across the campfire from Eirika, with Seth and Garcia on either side of her. I sat behind her, having just finished braiding her hair for the night. "I am surprised it did not come up sooner."

"You were exhausted." And probably still was. But I had a feeling Natasha wouldn't sleep until she had relayed her story. "So, I ask now. How would a cleric be called a 'traitor'?"

"It's because I know too much." Natasha sat up straight and looked Eirika right in the eye. "I know why the emperor attacked Renais." She… what?

"You do?" Eirika's eyes widened. So did… half of the others: Franz, Neimi, Ross, Artur, and Vanessa. Garcia, Gilliam, Colm, and Seth frowned skeptically, though they kept silent. Lute… probably wasn't even paying attention, engrossed in her tome as she was. Moulder stayed impassive, as calm as he would be when studying a person's wound. Joshua showed no reaction, just watching everyone. "I… pray, forgive me, but…"

"I know how it sounds. I am, after all, a simple cleric. But I learned this from my mentor, Father McGregor… in his last words to me."

"...Last words?"

"He… he was executed a few days ago, your highness." Natasha closed her eyes, to ward off tears and pain. But the news… that certainly sent a few of us reeling. Ignoring the personal acquaintance, Father McGregor had been the _High Priest_ of the Fire's Sanctum, charged with the 'sacred duty' of guarding the Fire Emblem, and the religious leader of Grado. Offing him would've been like… okay, not quite as dramatic as assassinating King Mansel, but… "He had learned, and tired to escape to warn the other countries. But they captured them, so he… he tasked it to me instead…"

"Father McGregor is… dead?" Eirika said the words slowly, blinked slowly. Trying to process this new information. "I… but he and Emperor Vigarde always got along, and he and Lyon adored each other, even if they argued over Lyon's research…"

"Yes, he was worrying about His Highness and it was while trying to reach him that he learned." Reach him? "Prince Lyon has been confined to the palace ever since the invasion began, so it was difficult, but Father McGregor refused to give up. Until he learned…" Natasha opened her eyes again, to add weight to her words. "Until he learned that the emperor is using the invasion as a mask to hide his true purpose: the destruction of the Sacred Stones."

"He… what?" Well, that was… uh… "But the Stones are treasures… protection from the Demon King…"

"All know this, and yet the emperor wishes to destroy them. I know not why." She sighed and, slowly, slumped. Like the weight of her message had been the only thing keeping her up and now… "He simply… it's like he changed overnight. No one can guess his reasons now. It's like he went mad." Or had decided to stop pretending to be nice. Either-or, really. The 'stop pretending' was probably more likely, though. 'Madness' was more often than not just a convenient excuse that people tried to use to rationalize how someone they knew could do something so horrible. "So, I must…"

"There are some Frelian spies here in Serafew, who can carry the message to King Hayden for us," Gilliam murmured. I had no idea how much or little he believed her. His expression was as impassive as always, and I didn't know his little 'tells'. Not like I did Seth's. And I could tell Seth was skeptical. Still, if this was true… well, it would explain the monsters in the woods... "He can deliver it to Rausten and Jehanna from there, if circumstances permit it."

"Gilliam, let me handle that," Moulder suggested. Not quite something I'd expect him to say, but you know what? Stranger things have happened. "Vanessa can ferry me close. We might need to stay here a day, but we should be fine." Maybe. In theory. "It depends on how quickly they can get to me."

"Of course."

"A day of rest will probably be good," Garcia noted. He ruffled Ross's hair, who made a face at the gesture. "These old bones of mine don't travel as well as they used to. The arthritis is getting to me." It was nice of him to put the 'blame' on him. If anyone was having troubles with the pace, it would be the less military-minded folk. Like me. "Besides, once we're more firmly in Grado territory, taking a day's rest will be much more dangerous."

Talk slowly descended into debating the pros and cons of staying, and I let my attention drift because I didn't care. If I had to march, I would. It was as simple was that for me. So, I just watched them all talk and gesture without listening, sparing a moment of amusement when Ross almost knocked Lute's book into the fire somehow. Franz managed to save it, almost to fall into the fire himself. Meaning Vanessa had to save _him_. And nearly fell on Neimi, though Colm pulled her out of the way in time. It was… a mess, but led to a lot of laughing (save for a sulking Lute) and it was on that note that most went to bed. Eirika stopped briefly to chat with Joshua, and I followed her into our tent when she was done.

"Did he really join us because of a bet?" she asked me dryly. She changed quickly into her nightgown, and frowned at me. "Really?"

"He cheated," I revealed, also changing quickly. He might've said to not tell anyone, but Eirika took priority. "Made sure she won. So, just let him have his excuse."

"That confuses me even more." She frowned more, this time looking very put out. "I know why everyone is here. Why is he? If it was simply to leave Grado, why stay with us?"

"I can't answer that." I glanced at her and sighed when she looked pleading. "You really think he'll just outright tell me?"

"Maybe not, but he got me all turned around when I asked. And then he called me 'dove' and told me to get some rest." Welp, that sure fit him. "So?"

"Fine, fine, just don't expect anything, okay?"

I pretended to protest a little longer, particularly since I was tired and the blankets looked all nice and warm. But Eirika continued frowning, so I sighed and left the tent to go investigate for her. I'd expected it would take a second or two to actually find him, since I had no idea how sleeping arrangements were going to go with the newest additions to the group. But, surprisingly, Joshua was sitting at the campfire, absently tending to it as he thought about something. Or thought about nothing. Either-or, really. It wasn't like I could read minds.

"Hmm? Ah, hello, there," Joshua greeted when he saw me approach. He seemed amused, for some reason. "Let me guess. The darling princess was fretting and sent her loyal lady to try and get more information, yes?" Joshua grinned at me and I shrugged. After all, it was a little obvious. "So, what's your tactic going to be?"

"Nothing, really," I answered. Might as well be honest. I never really had a 'tactic' for this sort of thing. "I think I'd have better luck getting Seth to get some proper rest." I sat down next to him, and looked up at the stars. Mom always said they were the souls of the dead, shining through the darkness to bring hope. Wasn't really sure if I found that comforting or not, personally, especially now. "So, instead, I'll simply address what truly concerns her. If you know the purpose of this journey, and if you're really okay with traveling with us crazies."

"I traveled with a mercenary group once. You all don't quite qualify as 'crazy'." His grin softened to a smile and he gently stroked my hair. "Regardless, yes, I know you're chasing after a wayward prince and his missing knights, and yes, I'm just fine with coming along."

"Not sure if you'll be paid, you know."

"This isn't a contract. This is my choice." He continued stroking my hair before suddenly starting braiding it. "As I said, some things are more important than pride. Like conviction. I saw it in Natasha, and wondered what drove her. I see it in all of you, and it makes me curious. So, I'll tag along and see what I find at the end of the road here."

"...Very well." I'd have to leave it at that. I had a feeling he'd said all that he was willing to say. So, instead, I just… let him braid my hair and watched the stars. Once or twice, I thought I saw the shadow of a wyvern fly pass, but I wasn't sure. I was tired, after all. "Do you have any questions for us?"

"Plenty, but it's more fun to try and learn it on my own, petal." ...Petal? Seemed I gained a nickname too, then. "So, for now, what songs do you know? That meeting lacked singing. So dour, really."

"Well, we're mostly a group of knights?"

Joshua laughed and started singing a couple of different songs, likely to see which ones I knew. Though I kept silent, I found myself relaxing before long. I did know most of the songs, after all. Quiet, lighthearted songs… things that Monica and I would sing while doing chores… things I'd hum while tending to Eirika… things Mom would sing… Jehanna was a country filled with music, so I'd grown up with songs just like this.

It was strange, hearing them after Monica died. But it was soothing, too… and gods, did I ever need that comfort.

* * *

_Moulder_

_A long serving retainer of King Hayden, he has served as the king's personal healer since they were both children. As such, he is privy to many details normally kept to family, or that King Hayden refuses to tell anyone else._

_He is not the most magically powerful by any means, but his wealth of knowledge and near encyclopedic memory for medicines and herbs more than makes up for it, as does his stamina and sheer determination. The castle servants adore speaking of the time he performed a seventy-two hour surgery without breaks._

_He can be a little absentminded, so focused on his work that he'll forget important dates (like his own birthday) or meals. Luckily, his friends are quite used to this and while they tease him relentlessly, they also do their best to take care of him, so that he may take care of others. A good thing, since the stories of the legendary seventy-two hour surgery always leave out how he fell flat on his face afterwards and had to be carried to bed._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: And Chapter 5, where you get your arena intro, as well as your traditional second healer and your recruitable-enemy-myrmidon! And where we finally start getting… a couple of answers. Not all, of course. But some. Yay?
> 
> During the chapter itself, Tethys, Saleh, and Amelia all get cameos. Saleh hints to Myrrh, while Tethys gives you an item (want to say Dracoshield) and Amelia accidentally leaves behind a torch. I… uh… added to said cameos? Particularly Amelia's since I wanted to highlight the rumors Grado was spreading about the Renaisi twins.
> 
> It's never explicitly mentioned that Joshua cheated during his bet with Natasha, but it's a fairly popular theory considering he does actively cheat. So, I went with it.


End file.
